The Tachytes 



Tachytes, deprived of her Mantis, a small 

 Grasshopper, whose hind-legs I amputate 

 to prevent his leaping. The disabled Acri- 

 dian jogs along the sand. The Wasp flies 

 round him for a moment, casts a contemptu- 

 ous glance upon the cripple and withdraws 

 without attempting action. Let the prey of- 

 fered be large or small, green or grey, short 

 or long, rather like the Mantis or quite dif- 

 ferent, all my efforts miscarry. The 

 Tachytes recognizes in an instant that this 

 is no business of hers; this is not her family 

 game; she goes off without even honouring 

 my Grasshoppers with a peck of her mandi- 

 bles. 



This stubborn refusal is not due to gas- 

 tronomical causes. I have stated that the 

 larvae reared by my own hands feed on 

 young Grasshoppers as readily as on young 

 Mantes; they do not seem to perceive any 

 difference between the two dishes; they 

 thrive equally on the game chosen by me and 

 that selected by the mother. If the mother 

 sets no value on the Grasshopper, what then 

 can be the reason of her refusal? I can see 

 only one : this quarry, which is not hers, per- 

 haps inspires her with fear, as any unknown 

 thing might do; the ferocious Mantis does 

 not alarm her, but the peaceable Grasshop- 



IS9 



