More Hunting Wasps 



of an emptied stomach. Something cert- 

 ainly escapes us: the why and wherefore of 

 that crop drained dry. A creditable motive 

 may lie hidden behind the horrors which I 

 have related. What is it? 



Any one can understand the vagueness of 

 the observer's mind when he first asks him- 

 self this question. The reader is entitled to 

 be treated with consideration. I will spare 

 him the recital of my suspicions, my gropings 

 and my failures and will come straight to the 

 results of my long investigation. Every- 

 thing has its harmonious reason for existence. 

 I am too fully persuaded of this to believe 

 that the Philanthus pursues her habit of pro- 

 faning corpses solely to satisfy her greed. 

 What does the emptied crop portend? May 

 it not be that . . . ? Why, yes. . . . After 

 all, who knows ? . . . Let us try along these 

 lines. 



The mother's first care is the welfare of 

 the family. So far, we have seen the Phi- 

 lanthus hunting only for her stomach's sake; 

 let us watch her hunting as a mother. No- 

 thing is easier than to distinguish the two per- 

 formances. When the Wasp wants a few 

 good mouthfuls and nothing more, she scorn- 

 fully abandons the Bee after'picking her crop. 

 The Bee is to her a worthless remnant, 

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