The Bee-eating Philanthus 



favourable circumstance of my former ex- 

 periment, my failures with the Bee that had 

 not been made to disgorge. 



This refusal to touch the unwholesome or 

 distasteful honey is connected with princi- 

 ples of nutrition which are too general to 

 constitute a gastronomic peculiarity of the 

 Philanthus. The other carnivorous larvae, 

 at least in the order of the Hymenoptera, are 

 bound to share it. Let us try. We will go 

 to work as before. I unearth the larvae 

 when they have attained a medium size, to 

 avoid the weakness of infancy; I take away 

 the natural provisions, smear the carcases 

 separately with honey and, when this is done, 

 restore its victuals to each of the grubs. I 

 had to make a choice: not every subject was 

 equally suited to my experiments. I must 

 reject the larvae which are fed on one fat 

 joint, such as those of the Scolia. The grub 

 in fact attacks its prey at a determined point, 

 dips its head and neck into the insect's body, 

 rooting skilfully in the entrails to keep the 

 game fresh until the end of the meal, and 

 does not withdraw from the breach until the 

 whole skin is emptied of its contents. 



To make it let go with the object of coat- 

 ing the inside of the venison with honey had 

 273 



