BELIKERI. 61 



made at the wasp with great fury, try- 

 ing to seize it with his great fighting 

 claw. The wasp troubled himself very 

 little; he simply rose an inch or two 

 from the sand and swooped at the crab 

 from behind, avoiding the brandished 

 claw, and obliging the crab to pirouette 

 round and round in an absurd and 

 fatiguing manner, so that he was soon 

 obliged to retreat to his hole for a rest. 

 But he was out again in an instant, and 

 renewed the battle as eagerly but with 

 no better success than before. I do not 

 think he appeared for a third round, and 

 I regretted not being able to advise him 

 to countermine the wasp and engage 

 him underground when he resumed his 

 excavation, which he presently did with 

 great sang froid. 



