VII THREE STROKES OF A DAGGER 99 



The reason of this is evident. The bee uses her 

 sting to avenge an injury only at the cost of life, 

 the barbs preventing its withdrawal from the wound, 

 and thus causing mortal ruptures in the viscera at 

 the end of the abdomen. What could the Sphex 

 have done with a weapon which would have been 

 fatal the first time it was used ? Even supposing that 

 the barbed dart could have been withdrawn, I doubt 

 if any Hymenopteron using its weapon, especially to 

 wound game destined for its progeny, would be pro- 

 vided with one. For here the dart is not a fine 

 gentleman's weapon, unsheathed for vengeance, which 

 is said to be the pleasure of the gods, but a very 

 costly one, since the vindictive bee sometimes pays 

 for it with life. It is a worker's tool, on which 

 depends the future of the larvae, thus it should be one 

 easily used in a struggle with captured prey, plunging 

 into and coming out of the flesh without any delay — 

 a condition much better fulfilled by a smooth blade 

 than by a barbed one. 



I wished to ascertain at my own expense if the 

 Sphex's sting be very painful — that sting which knocks 

 over robust victims with frightful rapidity. Well, I 

 own with great admiration that it is slight and 

 cannot be at all compared as to pain with those of 

 the bee and the irascible wasp. It hurts so little 

 that, instead of using pincers, I never hesitated to 

 catch with my fingers any Sphegidae which I wanted 

 for my researches. I may say the same of the various 

 Cerceris, Philanthides, Palares, and even of the huge 

 Scoliides, whose very look is terrifying, and in general 

 of all predatory Hymenoptera which I have been able 

 to observe. I except, however, those that hunt spiders. 



