ZOOLOGY. 149 



we marked, with attentive curiosity, his awkward gait while 

 lifting his long, unwieldy legs above the short blades of grass, 

 and wondered for what uses and purposes this ugly little mon- 

 ster was placed upon this beautiful globe. Vriiile attentively 

 watchinjT the motions of one of these insects durinof our walk, 

 we were much surprised to see the object of our attraction 

 suddenly stop short in his wanderings and raise itself up to its 

 full hei^^ht, as thouc^h watchinsr the cominsf of some unwelcome 

 visitor. We at first supposed that it had just espied us, and 

 was expecting danger at our hands ; but upon our retreating a 

 few steps, he quickly crouched behind a tuft of dried grass, and 

 remaining very quiet, seemed to make himself as small as pos- 

 sible. A slight buzzing was heard in the air, and in a moment 

 a wasp passed near, hovering on the wing over his trembling 

 victim, the much-dreaded tarantula. Like some bird of prey, 

 the was^) remained thus poised a moment, and then, quick as 

 thought, darted down upon the enemy, and stung him many 

 times with great rapidity. The tarantula, smarting under the 

 pain, began a retreat, with all the speed of which he was ca- 

 pable ; but the wasp hung over him with wonderful tenacity, 

 and again and ao^ain struck him with his venomous stinsr. 

 Gradually the flight of the tarantula became slower and more 

 irregular, and at length, under the repeated thrusts of his con- 

 queror, he died, biting the grass with his terrible fangs." 



Locusts and grasshoppers are abundant in the valleys ; mus- 

 quitoes in the tules, and along the streams in the Sacramento 

 Basin ; and fleas everywhere. 



§ 127. Honey -Dew Aphis. — Among the noteworthy insects 

 of the state is one which secretes a sweet liquid called " honey- 

 dew," and deposits it on trees. It is transparent, thick like 

 honey, and sweet, sometimes with a bitter after-taste, but more 

 frequently having a flavor like parched corn. The leaves and 

 twigs are covered with it, the deposit usually being nearly 

 even, occasionally in spots or drops. The honey-dew is more 

 frequently found on oak-trees than on any other tree or bush ; 

 and oftener in dry seasons, and remote from the coast, than in 



