34 The Hunting Wasps 



the futility of my quest and of the small chance 

 which I had of catching in the act a few scarce 

 huntresses, scattered here and there and soon 

 lost to view through the swiftness of their 

 flight, especially on difficult ground, thickly 

 planted with vines and olive-trees. I aban- 

 doned the attempt. 



By myself bringing live Weevils into the 

 vicinity of the nests, might I not tempt the 

 Cerceres with a victim all ready to hand and 

 thus witness the desired tragedy ? The idea 

 seemed a good one ; and the very next morn- 

 ing I went off in search of live specimens of 

 Cleonus ophthalmicus. Vineyards, cornfields, 

 lucerne-crops, hedges, stone-heaps, roadsides : 

 I visited and inspected one and all ; and, after 

 two mortal days of minute investigation, I was 

 the possessor — dare I say it ? — I was the pos- 

 sessor of three Weevils, flayed, covered with 

 dust, minus antennae or tarsi, maimed veterans 

 whom the Cerceres would perhaps refuse to look 

 at ! Many years have passed since the days 

 of that fevered quest when, bathed in sweat, I 

 made those wild expeditions, all for a Weevil ; 

 and, despite my almost daily entomological ex- 

 plorations, I am still ignorant how and where 

 the celebrated Cleonus lives, though I meet 

 him occasionally, roaming on the edge of the 

 paths. wonderful power of instinct ! In the 



