More Hunting Wasps 



paths. There, to a depth of an inch at most, 

 she digs her burrows, each isolated from the 

 rest. Her prey is an adult, medium-sized 

 Acridian,^ such as the White-banded Sphex 

 pursues. The captive of the one would not 

 be despised by the other. Gripped by the 

 antennae, according to the ritual of the Sphex, 

 the victim is trailed along on foot and laid 

 beside the nest, with the head pointing to- 

 wards the opening. The pit, prepared in 

 advance, is closed for the time being with a 

 tiny flagstone and some bits of gravel, in 

 order to avoid either the invasion of a 

 passer-by or obstruction by landslips during 

 the huntress' absence. A like precaution is 

 taken by the White-banded Sphex. Both ob- 

 serve the same diet and the same customs. 



The Tachytes clears the entrance to the 

 home and goes in alone. She returns, puts 

 out her head and, seizing her prey by the 

 antennae, warehouses it by dragging back- 

 wards. I have repeated, at her expense, 

 the tricks which I used to play on the Sphex.^ 

 While the Tachytes is underground, I move 

 the game away. The insect comes up again 

 and sees nothing at its door; it comes out 



1 Locust or Grasshopper. — Translator's Note. 



2 For the author's experiments with the Languedocian, 

 the Yellow-winged and the White-edged Sphex, cf. The 

 Hunting Wasps: chap. xi. — Translator's Note. 



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