THE FOSSORS OR DIGGERS 



IN many respects the insects of this section 

 adopt the same methods as the solitary bees so 

 far as the construction of their nests is concerned, 

 but the food brought home for their offspring 

 is animal instead of vegetable. In order to 

 supply their larvse with " fresh meat " these little 

 creatures, when they have captured a suitable 

 prey, sting it in such a way that it becomes 

 paralyzed, but does not die ; after provisioning 

 a cell with the necessary number of these para- 

 lytics, the mother lays her egg on one of them 

 or amongst them, and closes up the cell. In 

 consequence of this wonderful maternal instinct, 

 foresight, or whatever the faculty may be, the 

 larva when hatched finds fresh food ready for 

 consumption. The various species provision 

 their nests with different kinds of foods, and 

 some appear to be most fastidious in their 

 selection, and are said never to err in choosing 



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