The Hunting Wasps 



to fly off on a fresh chase. In less than ten 

 minutes, the skilled huntress had fouad a new 

 victim, performed the murder and accom- 

 plished the rape, which I often allowed my- 

 self to turn to my own profit. Eight times in 

 succession I have committed the same rob- 

 bery at the expense of the same Wasp; eight 

 times, with unshaken consistency, she has 

 recommenced her fruitless expedition. Her 

 patience outwore mine; and I left her in un- 

 disturbed possession of her ninth capture. 



By this means, or by violating cells already 

 provisioned, I procured close upon a hundred 

 Weevils; and, notwithstanding what I was 

 entitled to expect from what Leon Dufour 

 has told us of the habits of the Buprestis- 

 hunting Cerceris, I could not repress my sur- 

 prise at the sight of the singular collection 

 which I had made. Whereas the Buprestis- 

 slayer, while confining herself to one genus, 

 passes indiscriminately from one species to 

 another, the more exclusive Great Cerceris 

 preys invariably on the same species, Cleonus 

 ophthalmicus . When going through my bag, 

 I came upon but one exception and even that 

 belonged to a kindred species, Cleonus alter- 

 nans, a species which I never saw again in 

 my frequent visits to the Cerceris. Later re- 

 26 



