12 THE SOLITARY WASPS. 



the mandibles, the subject of the treatment being turned around 

 and around so that all sides may be equally affected. 



In our third case a caterpillar which we had caught was 

 placed in front of a wasp just after she had carried the second 

 larva into her nest. She seemed rather indifferent to it, pass- 

 ing it once or twice as she ran about, but finally picked it up 

 and gave it one prolonged sting between the third and fourth 

 segments. She then spent a long time in squeezing the neck,, 

 pinching it again and again. It was then left on the ground, 

 and as she showed no further interest in it we carried it home 

 for further study. 



In the three captures, then, that came under our observation, 

 all the caterpillars being of the same species and almost exactly 

 of the same size, three different methods were employed. In 

 the first, seven stings were given at the extremities, the middle 

 segments being left untouched, and no malaxation was prac- 

 ticed. In the second, seven stings again but given in the an- 

 terior and middle segments, followed by slight malaxation. In 

 the third, only one sting was given but the malaxation was pro- 

 longed and severe. 



Let us now compare these variations with those of Fabre. In 

 his first case the sting entered at twelve different points, be- 

 ginning between the first and second segments and progressing 

 regularly backward. There was no malaxation. In his sec- 

 ond example the third, second and first segments were stung in 

 the order given, and thereafter each succeeding segment up to 

 the ninth, nine stings being given in all, with careful malaxation 

 following. In his later experiments, which seem to have been 

 numerous, he found that as a usual thing all the segments were 

 stung, although the posterior three or four were occasionally 

 spared, but that the order in which they were operated upon, as- 

 well as the amount of malaxation, was very variable.* 



*M. Fabre was most fortunate in making- Jiirsuta sting* under artifi- 

 cial conditions. Onr experience with urnaria, on the contrary, recalls 

 his failures with sabulosa. No matter how carefully we arranged for 

 an experiment, placing- the glass over the wasp out of doors, with the 



