THE TWO-BANDED SCOLIA 151 



through my fingers at least two cubic yards of sandy soil, 

 I am the fortunate possessor of two grubs. Had I not 

 wanted them, I should have dug them up by the handful ! 

 However, my lean and costly harvest is sufficient for the 

 moment. To-morrow, I shall send stronger arms to 

 continue the digging. 



And now let us repay ourselves for our trouble by 

 witnessing the drama under glass. Heavy and clumsy 

 in her ways, the Scolia moves slowly round the arena. 

 At the sight of the game, her attention wakes up. The 

 fight is heralded by the same preparations as those dis- 

 played by the Two-banded Scolia : the Hymenopteron 

 polishes her wings and taps the table with the tips of her 

 antennae. And now, up, lads, and at 'em ! The attack 

 begins. Unfit to move over a flat surface, because of 

 its short, weak legs ; lacking, moreover, the Cetonia's 

 eccentric means of locomotion on its back, the big-bellied 

 worm does not dream of running away : it rolls itself up. 

 The Scolia, with her powerful nippers, grabs its skin, now 

 at once place, now at another. Buckled into an arch whose 

 two ends almost meet, she strives to thrust the tip of her 

 belly into the narrow opening of the volute formed by the 

 grub. The fight is conducted quite calmly, without hard 

 blows and with varying fortunes. It represents the 

 obstinate attempt of a live split ring trying to slip one of 

 its ends into another live split ring, which displays an 

 equal obstinacy in remaining closed. The Scolia holds the 

 game in subjection with her legs and mandibles ; she 

 makes her attempt first on one side and then on the other, 

 without succeeding in unrolling the torus, which becomes 

 the more contracted the more it feels itself in danger. 

 The actual circumstances make the operation difficult : 

 the prey slips and rolls over the table, when the insect 



