The Great Cerceris 



the Cerceris finds it far from easy to walk 

 with such a burden, especially on ground of 

 this character, it is a different matter when 

 she is flying, which she does with a vigour 

 that astonishes us when we consider that the 

 sturdy little creature is carrying a prize al- 

 most as large as herself and heavier. I had 

 the curiosity to compare the weight of the 

 Cerceris and her victim: the first turned the 

 scale at 150 milligrammes; 1 the second aver- 

 aged 250 milligrammes, 2 or nearly double. 



These figures are eloquent of the powers 

 of the huntress, nor did I ever weary of ad- 

 miring the nimbleness and ease with which 

 she resumed her flight, with the game between 

 her legs, and rose to a height at which I lost 

 sight of her whenever, tracked too close by 

 my indiscretion, she resolved to flee in order 

 to save her precious booty. But she did not 

 always fly away; and I would then succeed, 

 not without difficulty, lest I should hurt her, 

 in making her drop her prey by worrying her 

 and rolling her over. I would then seize the 

 Weevil; and the Cerceris, thus despoiled, 

 would hunt about here and there, enter her 

 lair for a moment and soon come out again 



1 .00528 oz. av. Translator's Note. 

 2 ,oo88 oz. av. Translator's Note. 



25 



