More Hunting Wasps 



pot-making Pelopaeus, a Spider-eater, on ten- 

 der Acridians; the Sand Cerceris, a passion- 

 ate lover of Weevils, on Halicti; the Bee- 

 eating Philanthus, which feeds exclusively on 

 Hive-bees, on Eristales and other Flies. 

 Without succeeding in my final aim, for rea- 

 sons which I have just explained, I have seen 

 the Two-banded Scolia feasting greedily on 

 the grub of the Oryctes, which was substi- 

 tuted for that of the Cetonia, and putting up 

 with an Ephippiger taken from the burrow 

 of the Sphex; I have been present at the re- 

 past of three Hairy Ammophilae accepting 

 with an excellent appetite the Cricket that 

 replaced their caterpillar. One of them, as 

 I have related, contrived to keep its ration 

 fresh, which enabled it to reach its full de- 

 velopment and to spin its cocoon. 



These examples, the only ones to which 

 my experiments have extended hitherto, seem 

 to me sufficiently convincing to allow me to 

 conclude that the carnivorous larva does not 

 have exclusive tastes. The ration suppHed 

 to it by the mother, so monotonous, so lim- 

 ited in quality, might be replaced by others 

 equally to its taste. Variety does not dis- 

 please the larva; it does it as much good as 

 uniformity; indeed, it would be of greater 

 benefit to the race, as we shall see presently. 



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