PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE 



packs with the terrible mantis, of whom she is the always 

 victorious enemy; for knowing by incomprehensible in- 

 stinct whether she is about to lay a male or a female 

 egg, she augments or diminishes, according to its sex, 

 the larder for the larva: the tiny male is allotted a dwarf 

 provision. 



The male hornet is notably smaller than the female, 

 and the neuter hornet still smaller. The male pine 

 lophyr is black, the female yellow. The male of the 

 chalicodome or mason-bee is russet, the far more beauti- 

 ful female is a fine velvety black with deep violet wings. 

 While the male loafs and bumbles she artfully and pa- 

 tiently rears the big-domed clay nest where her offspring 

 pass their larvae days. This bee lives in colonies but the 

 labour is individual, each doing her work without bother- 

 ing about that of her neighbour, unless it be to rob her 

 or spoil her construction, as in a civilization not un- 

 known to us. The female mason is armed, but by no 

 means aggressive. 



In many hymenoptera only the female carries the 

 sword, as in the case of the gilded wasp, gold-striped over 

 blue or red, who can project a long needle from her 

 abdomen ; the female philanthe, who is carnivorous, while 

 the puerile unarmed male lives upon flower-pollen. Not 

 disdaining this natural dessert, the female philanthe will 

 attack the nectar-loaded bee with her great dart, stab 

 him and pump out his crop. One may see the ferocious 

 small animal knead the dead bee for half an hour, squeeze 

 him like a lemon, drink him out like a gourd. Charm- 

 ing and candid habits of these winged topazes whirring 

 among the flowers! Fabre has excused this sadique 

 37 



