THE HORNET. 335 



fruit, but would hawk after them when on the wing ; 

 capture them with a facility, to which their heavy 

 flight seemed unequal ; bear them to some neigh- 

 bouring plant, and there feed on the insect, which 

 seemed perfectly overpowered by the might of the 

 hornet. The first operation was to snip off the 

 head, then to cut away the lower part by the waist; 

 and, when near, we could hear them shearing away 

 the outer coat from the body, and crushing it with 

 their strong mandibles ; sometimes devouring it, 

 but generally only sucking the juices it contained. 

 Their avidity for this sort of food is very manifest 

 when the grape ripens on the wall : being com- 

 monly the only remaining fruit, the wasp abounds 

 there ; the hornets flock to the prey, and we may 

 see them in constant progress, bearing their victims 

 from the bunches. The wasp itself seizes the 

 house fly; but this seems rather the display of 

 wanton power than for food, as it bears the fly about 

 with it for a length of time, and drops it uncon- 

 sumed. The fly, in its turn, is conducive after its 

 manner to the death of many an animal. We know 

 not any insect that destroys the hornet ; but its 

 power and being are terminated by some very effec- 

 tive agent, as in particular years it is almost un- 

 known*. Though we may not often perceive the 



* The hornet is a very pugnacious animal. They will fight 

 desperately with each other at times, when they meet in pursuit of 

 prey, biting each other's hody, and trying to get their mandibles 

 under the head of their opponents, to snip it off. I one day con- 



