Bramble-bees and Others 



mystery. Besides, no poison, not even that of 

 the Rattlesnake, has hitherto revealed the 

 cause of Its dread effects. 



Acting, therefore, under the Instruction of 

 that one guide, pain, I place the Bee's sting 

 far above that of the predatory Insects as an 

 offensive weapon. A single one of Its thrusts 

 must equal and often surpass In efficaciousness 

 the repeated wounds of the other. For all 

 these reasons — an excessive display of energy; 

 the variable quantity of the virus Inoculated 

 by a wriggling abdomen which no longer mea- 

 sures the emission by doses; a sting which I 

 cannot direct as I please; a wound which may 

 be deep or superficial, the weapon entering 

 perpendicularly or obliquely, touching the 

 nerve-centres or affecting only the surround- 

 ing tissues — my experiments ought to produce 

 the most varied results. 



I obtain, in fact, every possible kind of dis- 

 order: ataxy, temporary disablement, perma- 

 nent disablement, complete paralysis, partial 

 paralysis. Some of my stricken victims re- 

 cover; others die after a brief Interval. It 

 would be an unnecessary waste of space to 

 record in this volume my hundred and one at- 

 tempts. The details would form tedious read- 



344 



