The Hunting Wasps 



jectures are borne out by the facts, the Bem- 

 bex' prize can be nothing but a corpse or at 

 most a mortally wounded prey. 



Well, my conjectures are correct: the Bem- 

 bex delivers her attack with a dash which 

 would do credit to a bird of prey. To sur- 

 prise the Wasp hunting is not an easy thing; 

 were we never so well armed with patience, 

 we should watch in vain in the neighbourhood 

 of the burrow: the favourable opportunity 

 would not present itself, for the insect flies 

 far away and there is no possibility of follow- 

 ing it in its rapid evolutions. Its tactics 

 would doubtless be unknown to me but for 

 the assistance of a utensil from which I would 

 certainly never have expected such a service. 

 I am speaking of my umbrella, which I used 

 as a protection against the sun in the sand of 

 the Bois des Issarts. 



I was not the only one to profit by its shade ; 

 I was generally surrounded by numerous com- 

 panions. Gad-flies of various species would 

 take refuge under the silken dome and sit 

 peacefully on every part of the tightly- 

 stretched cover. I was rarely without their 

 society when the heat became overpowering. 

 To while away the hours when I had nothing 

 to do, it amused me to watch their great gold 

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