More Hunting Wasps 



lish her wings, to stretch herself. Again I 

 observe the acrobatic postures, the forehead 

 touching the ground, the hinder part of the 

 body raised. This mimic triumph is the 

 same as that of the huntress of the Grey 

 Worm. Then the Looper is once more 

 seized. Despite its contortions, which are 

 not in the least abated by the three wounds 

 in the thorax, it is stung from front to back 

 in each segment still unwounded, no matter 

 how many, whether supplied with legs or 

 not. I expected to see the sting refrain 

 more or less in the long interval which sep- 

 arates the true legs in front from the pro- 

 legs ^ at the back: segments devoid of organs 

 of defence or locomotion did not seem to 

 me to deserve conscientious surgery. I was 

 mistaken: not a segment of the Looper is 

 spared, not even the last ones. It is true 

 that these, being eminently capable of catch- 

 ing hold with their false legs, would be dan- 

 gerous later were the Wasp to neglect them. 

 I observe, however, that the lancet works 

 more rapidly in the second part of the opera- 

 tion than in the first, either because the 

 caterpillar, half subjugated by the triple 

 wound at the outset, is easier to reach with 



1 Fleshy legs found on the abdominal segments of cater- 

 pillars and certain other larvae. — Translator's Note. 

 304 



