The Poison of the Bee 



the four hind-legs move sharply and grip the 

 point. As for the fore-legs, smitten in their 

 nerve-centre, they are quite lifeless. I'he 

 same condition is maintained for three days 

 longer. On the fifth day, the creeping paraly- 

 sis leaves nothing free but the antennae wav- 

 ing to and fro and the abdomen throbbing 

 and lifting up the ovipositor. On the sixth, 

 the Grasshopper begins to turn brown; she is 

 dead. Except that the vestige of life is more 

 persistent, the case is the same as that of the 

 Decticus. If we can prolong the duration, 

 we shall have the victim of the Sphex, 



But first let us look into the effect of a prick 

 administered elsewhere than opposite the 

 thoracic ganglia. I cause a female Ephip- 

 piger to be stung in the abdomen, about the 

 middle of the lower surface. The patient 

 does not seem to trouble greatly about her 

 wound: she clambers gallantly up the sides of 

 the bell-jar under which I have placed her; 

 she goes on hopping as before. Better still, 

 she sets about browsing the vine-leaf which 

 I have given her for her consolation. A few 

 hours pass and the v/hole thing is forgotten. 

 She has made a rapid and complete recovery. 



A second is woimded in three places on the 



S49 



