More Hunting Wasps 



ulus of a needle. There is nothing of the 

 sort here, nothing but absolute inertia, except 

 in the head, where I see, from time to time, 

 the mouth-parts open and close, the palpi 

 give a tremor, the short antennae sway to 

 and fro. A prick with the point of a needle 

 causes no contraction, no matter what the 

 spot pricked. Though I stab it through 

 and through, the creature does not stir, be 

 it ever so little. A corpse is not more inert. 

 Never, since my remotest investigations, 

 have I witnessed so profound a paralysis. 

 I have seen many wonders due to the surgi- 

 cal talent of the Wasp; but to-day's marvel 

 surpasses them all. 



I am doubly surprised when I consider 

 the unfavourable conditions under which the 

 Scolia operates. The other paralysers work 

 in the open air, in the full light of day. 

 There is nothing to hinder them. They en- 

 joy full liberty of action in seizing the prey, 

 holding it in position and sacrificing it; they 

 are able to see the victim and to parry its 

 means of defence, to avoid its spears, its 

 pincers. The spot or spots to be attained 

 are within their reach; they drive the dag- 

 ger in without let or hindrance. 



What difficulties, on the other hand, await 

 the Scolia I She hunts underground, in the 

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