CHAPTER VI 



THE TACHYTES 



THE family of Wasps whose name I in- 

 scribe at the head of this chapter has 

 not hitherto, so far as I know, made much 

 noise in the world. Its annals are limited 

 to methodical classifications, which make 

 very poor reading. The happy nations, 

 men say, are those which have no history. 

 I accept this, but I also admit that it is pos- 

 sible to have a history without ceasing to be 

 happy. In the conviction that I shall not 

 disturb its prosperity, I will try to substitute 

 the living, moving insect for the insect im- 

 paled in a cork-bottomed box. 



It has been adorned with a learned name, 

 derived from the Greek Taxuriy? tachytes, 

 meaning rapidity, suddenness, speed. The 

 creature's godfather, as we see, had a smat- 

 tering of Greek; its denomination is none the 

 less unfortunate: intended to instruct us by 

 means of a characteristic feature, the name 

 leads us astray. Why is speed mentioned 

 in this connection ? Why a label which pre- 

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