A Dangerous Diet 



lia-larva of almost the same size; let the 

 dish be the same though the guest is differ- 

 ent; and healthy live flesh Is promptly re- 

 placed by pestilent rotten flesh. That which 

 under the mandibles of the Sphex would for 

 a long while have remained wholesome 

 food promptly becomes a poisonous liques- 

 cence under the mandibles of the Scolia. 



It is impossible to explain the preserva- 

 tion of the victuals until finally consumed by 

 supposing that the venom injected by the 

 Wasp when she delivers her paralysing stings 

 possesses antiseptic properties. The three 

 Ephippigers were operated on by the Sphex. 

 Able to keep fresh under the mandibles of 

 the Sphex-larvae, why did they promptly go 

 bad under the mandibles of the Scolia-larvae ? 

 Any idea of an antiseptic must needs be re- 

 jected: a liquid preservative which would 

 act in the first case could not fail to act in 

 the second, as its virtues would not depend 

 on the teeth of the consumer. 



Those of you who are versed in the know- 

 ledge attaching to this problem, investigate, 

 I beg you, search, sift, see if you can discover 

 the reason why the victuals keep fresh when 

 consumed by a Sphex, whereas they prompt- 

 ly become putrid when consumed by a 

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