The Hunting Wasps 



whose last meal will be made on her own 

 disembowelled larva! I leave it to others, 

 cleverer than myself, to interpret these as- 

 tonishing relations. 



Let us observe the tactics employed by 

 the Tachina for the purpose of confiding her 

 eggs to the Digger's nest. It is an absolute 

 rule that the Gnat never enters the burrow, 

 even though she should find it open and the 

 owner absent. The sly parasite would think 

 twice about venturing down a passage where, 

 being no longer free to escape, she might 

 pay dear for her brazen effrontery. For 

 her the one and only favourable moment 

 for her designs, a moment awaited with ex- 

 quisite patience, is that at which the Wasp 

 dives into the gallery, with her prey clasped 

 to her belly. At that instant, however short 

 it may be, when the Bembex or any other 

 Digger has half her body well within the 

 entrance and is about to disappear under- 

 ground, the Miltogramma dashes up and 

 settles on the piece of game that projects a 

 little way beyond the hinder extremity of the 

 ravisher; and, while the Bembex is delayed 

 by the difficulty of entering, the other, with 

 unparalleled swiftness, lays an egg on the 

 prey, or even two or three in quick succession. 

 3i6 



