The Tachytes 



and goes to fetch its Locust, whom it places 

 in position as before. This done, it goes 

 in again by itself. In its absence I once 

 more pull back the prey. Fresh emergence 

 of the Wasp, who puts things to rights and 

 persists in going down again, still by herself, 

 however often 1 repeat the experiment. Yet 

 it would very easy for her to put an end to 

 my teasing: she would only have to descend 

 straightway with her game, instead of leav- 

 ing it for a moment on her doorstep. But, 

 faithful to the usages of her race, she be- 

 haves as her ancestors behaved before her, 

 even though the ancient custom happen to 

 be unprofitable. Like the Yellow-winged 

 Sphex, whom I have teased so often during 

 her cellaring-operations, she is a narrow con- 

 servative, learning nothing and forgetting 

 nothing. 



Let us leave her to do her work in peace. 

 The Locust disappears underground and the 

 egg is laid upon the breast of the paralysed 

 insect. That is all: one carcase for each 

 cell, no more. The entrance is stopped at 

 last, first with stones, which will prevent the 

 trickling of the embankment into the cham- 

 ber; next with sweepings of dust, under 

 which every vestige of the subterranean 

 house disappears. It Is now done: the 

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