Change of Diet 



Great Cerceris a Buprestis, the delight of 

 one of her near kinsfolk. She will have 

 nothing to say to the sumptuous dish. Ac- 

 cept that! She, a Weevil-eater! Never in 

 this world ! Present her with a Cleonus of a 

 different species, or any other large Weevil, 

 of a sort which she has most probably never 

 seen before, since it does not figure on the 

 inventory of the provisions in her burrows. 

 This time there is no show of disdain: the 

 victim Is seized and stabbed in the regulation 

 manner and forthwith stored away. 



Try to persuade the Hairy Ammophila 

 that Spiders have a nutty flavour, as La- 

 lande ^ asserts ; and you will see how coldly 

 your hints are received. Try merely to con- 

 vince her that the caterpillar of a Butterfly 

 Is as good to eat as the caterpillar of a 

 Moth. You will not succeed. But, if you 

 substitute for her underground larva, which 

 I suppose to be grey, another underground 

 larva striped with black, yellow, rusty-red 

 or any other tint, this change of coloration 

 will not prevent her from recognizing, in the 



1 Joseph Jerome Le Frangais de Lalande (1732-1807), 

 the astronomer. Even after he had achieved his reputa- 

 tion, he sought means, outside the domain of science, to 

 make himself talked about and found these in the dis- 

 play partly of odd tastes, such as that for eating Spiders 

 and caterpillars, and partly of atheistical opinions. — 

 Translators Note. 



177 



