The Mason-Wasps 



of the mother's absolute need first to glue 

 the suspension-thread somewhere, before 

 abandoning her egg to space. In the ova- 

 rian tubes and in the oviduct, which are 

 too narrow to allow of an inversion, the 

 anal pole therefore passes first. Pointing 

 in the same direction as the egg, the new- 

 born grub will thus hang head downwards, 

 with its hinder end uppermost, at the end of 

 its thread. 



By the front pole, the Scolize, the Spheges 

 and the Ammophilae in their turn reply, as do 

 all the Hunting Wasps that fix the egg to 

 some portion of the victim. It is, indeed, 

 always by the cephalic end that the egg ad- 

 heres to the prey, at a definite point selected 

 by the mother's prudence; for the safety of 

 the nurseling and the preservation of the vic- 

 tuals demand that the first bites shall be 

 taken here and here only. For the same 

 reasons as above, the extremity fastened to 

 the game has emerged into the light of day 

 before the other. 



Both these opposite testimonies are 

 equally truthful. According as its destiny 

 is to be glued to the wall of the cell or to 

 be kept away from it on another support, 

 the egg takes its plunge into life by the 

 front pole or the rear pole, which requires 

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