The Hunting Wasps 



like the conclusion of the sage of the Landes, 

 would be a purely gratuitous supposition 

 which would simply substitute one unknown 

 quantity for another, giving us in the place of 

 the mystery of those uncorrupted tissues the 

 mystery of that wonderful preserving fluid. 



If we insist, if we point out that the larvae 

 need, not preserved food, which could never 

 possess the properties of still palpitating 

 flesh, but something that shall be just as if it 

 were live prey, despite its complete inertia, 

 the learned congress, after due reflection, will 

 fix on paralysis: 



" Yes, that's it, of course I The creature 

 must be paralysed; it must be deprived of 

 movement, without being deprived of life." 



There is only one way of achieving this 

 result: to injure, cut or destroy the insect's 

 nervous system in one or more skilfully- 

 selected places. But, even at that stage, if 

 left in hands unfamiliar with the anatomical 

 secrets of a delicate organism, the question 

 would not have advanced much farther. 

 What in fact is the disposition of this nervous 

 system which has to be smitten if we would 

 paralyse the insect without at the same time 

 killing it? And, first of all, where is it? In 

 the head, no doubt, and down the back, like 

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