The Method of the Calicurgi 



pilus, who suddenly turns tail and moves 

 away. The Lycosa then closes her bundle 

 of poisoned daggers and resumes her na- 

 tural pose, standing on her eight legs; but, at 

 the slightest attempt at aggression on the 

 Wasp's part, she resumes her threatening 

 position. 



She does more : suddenly she leaps and 

 flings herself upon the Calicurgus; swiftly 

 she clasps her and nibbles at her with her 

 fangs. Without wielding her sting in self- 

 defence, the other disengages herself and 

 merges unscathed from the angry encounter. 

 Several times in succession I witness the at- 

 tack; and nothing serious ever befalls the 

 Wasp, who swiftly withdraws from the fray 

 and appears to have received no hurt. She 

 resumes her marching and countermarching 

 no less boldly and swiftly than before. 



Is this Wasp invulnerable, that she thus 

 escapes from the terrible fangs? Evidently 

 not. A real bite would be fatal to her. 

 Big, sturdily-built Acridians ^ succumb ; how 

 is it that she, with her delicate organism, 

 does not! The Spider's daggers, therefore, 

 make no more than an idle feint; their points 

 do not enter the flesh of the tight-clasped 

 Wasp. If the strokes were real, I should 



1 Locusts and Grasshoppers. — Translator's Note. 

 Z27 



