138 THE SOLITARY WASPS. 



Fabre bases his very strongest arguments for the exactness of 

 the method by which wasps sting their victims, upon the actions 

 of one of the Pompilidae* but certainly P. quinquenotatus can 

 make no claim to nice workmanship, for if she occasionally 

 stings in such a way that life is preserved for some time it seems 

 to be a matter of chance rather than of skill. In one respect, 

 however, looking at the matter from Fabre's point of view, she 

 is very successful. Her victim is left so motionless as to be a per- 

 fectly safe repository for the egg. Even in the case of the 

 spider that lived forty days the power of motion did not return, 

 to any extent, during the first ten or twelve days, and before this 

 time in the natural course of events, there would have been noth- 

 ing left to move. 



"We look back with much pleasure upon our acquaintance 

 with this gay, excitable little wasp. She was so full of breezy 

 energy that it was always delightful to meet her, and she 

 showed so wide a variation in individual character that we sel- 

 dom watched her without learning something new. 



Pompilus Hguttatus Fabr. 



This wasp varies from one-quarter of an inch in length to 

 three times that size, and is marked with one or two interrupted 

 white bands on the abdomen. It is extremely common upon the 

 island in our lake, the males especially appearing in swarms 

 about the first of August, when they may be seen attempting to 

 mate not only with females of their own kind but also with 

 those of quinquenotatus, which is sometimes described as a vari- 

 ety of the same species. Their habits are certainly much alike 

 although quinquenotatus is distinctly the more excitable of the 

 two, and preys solely upon Epeira strix, while biguttatus is 

 occasionally seen with Epeira Idbyrinthea, a much less common 

 spider. One peculiarity of biguttatus is her passion for wash- 

 ing herself. After she has caught her spider and bestowed it 

 safely, she flies to an adjoining plant and falls to brushing off her 

 wings and legs, and washing her face again and again, as though 



^Souvenirs Entomologiques, Quatrime Serie, p. 267. 



