More Hunting Wasps 



either with her mandibles or with the tip of 

 her abdomen. At such times the two crea- 

 tures, locked In a mutual embrace, turn over 

 and over In a mad whirl, each of them now 

 on top, now underneath. When It contrives 

 to rid Itself of Its enemy, the larva uncoils 

 again, stretches Itself out and proceeds to 

 make off upon Its back with all possible 

 speed. Its defensive ruses are exhausted. 

 Formerly, before I had seen things for my- 

 self, taking probability as my guide I will- 

 ingly granted to the larva the trick of the 

 Hedgehog, who rolls himself Into a ball and 

 sets the Dog at defiance. Colled upon it- 

 self, with an energy which my fingers have 

 some difficulty In overcoming, the larva, I 

 thought, would defy the Scolia, powerless 

 to unroll it and disdaining any point but the 

 one selected. I hoped and believed that It 

 possessed this means of defence, a means 

 both efficacious and extremely simple. I had 

 presumed too much upon Its ingenuity. In- 

 stead of Imitating the Hedgehog and remain- 

 ing contracted, it flees, belly In air; it fool- 

 ishly adopts the very posture which allows 

 the Scolia to mount to the assault and to 

 reach the spot for the fatal stroke. The 

 silly beast reminds me of the giddy Bee who 

 comes and flings herself into the clutches of 

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