20 MORE MINOR HORRORS 



respect but our affection. So curious is our 

 psychology. 



The cockroach has many enemies, and the genus 

 Sphex (or Chlorion) may be seen hunting about 

 here and there, up and down the road-side and 

 gardens, searching for its favourite prey. It spies 

 out a cockroach, which appears to know intuitively 

 that there is danger at hand, for it shows symptoms 

 of great fright, and seems so confused that it cannot 

 run away. The Chlorion pounces upon the insect, 

 clasps it with its mandibles between the head and 

 the corselet, and stabs it in the body with the sting. 

 Then it flies off for a little distance, and awaits the 

 effects of the poison thus introduced ; and when 

 the convulsions of the victim have ceased, the clever 

 little insect seizes its stupefied prey, and drags the 

 heavy burden with great efforts to its nest. Usually 

 the opening of the cavity is so narrow that the 

 cockroach cannot be got in, for its legs and wings 

 stick out and prevent its introduction. But the 

 Chlorion sets to work and cuts off the legs and the 

 wings, and having thus lessened the difficulty, it 

 strives hard to push the body into the hole ; but as 

 this plan usually fails, the hymenopteron enters 

 first of all, seizes the cockroach with its mandibles, 

 and drags it in with all its force. As the integuments 

 of the Blatta are more or less soft and flexible, the 

 great insect is at last forced into the gallery, where 

 it never could have been expected to have entered. 

 Such proceedings on the part of the Chlorion almost 

 verge upon the domain of reason ; and it is difficult 

 to explain them by the notion of that very indefinite 

 quality called instinct, for the manoeuvres vary 



