208 WOODLAND IDYLS. 



bole of oak and up this as fast as it could move 

 and drag its heavy burden. 



Meanwhile actor number three appeared upon 

 the scene in the form of a slender brown ich- 

 neumon fly about one-half the size of the wasp. 

 While the two were on the ground engaged in 

 the death struggle it darted near, and resting 

 on a leaf gazed down at them. When the wasp 

 started to drag away the spider the ichneumon 

 flitted to and fro, bobbing its abdomen up and 

 down and twitching its antennae as though filled 

 with the highest pitch of nervous excitement. 

 After the wasp had progressed a few feet up 

 the tree, the ichneumon made a dart at the spi- 

 der, clutched it with its legs, bent its abdomen 

 beneath and allowed the wasp to drag both it 

 and spider, meanwhile, no doubt, depositing 

 several eggs within the body of the latter. About 

 ten feet up the tree the ichneumon suddenly 

 left without attacking or seemingly being no- 

 ticed by the wasp. The latter went on rapidly 

 moving backwards until it reached a horizontal 

 limb and was lost to view. 



Several questions came to mind after the scene 

 was over, viz: (aO Did the wasp have its nest 

 on the limb of the tree or did it go there to have 

 a good height from which to start to fly with its 

 bulky burden? I once noted a larger wasp 

 climb to the top of an iron-weed in order to get 

 a good start with a, harvest fly which it could 



