More Hunting Wasps 



to me, are some examples of these variations 

 in the number of victims provided for the 

 larva, victims, of course, very nearly Iden- 

 tical In size. In the larder of the Yellow- 

 winged Sphex, after the victualling is com- 

 pleted and the house shut up, two or three 

 Crickets are sometimes found and sometimes 

 four. Stizus ruficornisj^ established in some 

 vein of soft sandstone, places three Praying 

 Mantes in one cell and five in another. Of 

 the caskets fashioned by Amedeus' Eumenes ^ 

 out of clay and bits of stone, the more richly 

 endowed contain ten small caterpillars, the 

 more poorly furnished five. The Sand Cep 

 cerls ^ will sometimes provide a ration of 

 eight Weevils and sometimes one of twelve 

 or even more. My notes abound in ab- 

 stracts of this kind. It Is unnecessary for 

 the purpose in hand to quote them all. It 

 will serve our object better If I give the de- 

 tailed inventory of the Bee-eating Philanthus 

 and of the Mantis-hunting Tachytes, con- 

 sidered especially with regard to the quan- 

 tity of the victuals. 



The slayer of Hive-bees is frequently in 

 my neighbourhood; and I can obtain from 



1 Cf . The Hunting Wasps: chap. xx. ; also Bramble- 

 bees and Others: chap. ix. — Translator's Note. 



2 Cf. The Mason-wasps: chap. i. — Translator's Note. 

 ' Cf . The Hunting Wasps : chap. ii. — Translator's Note. 



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