36 The Hunting IVasps 



Should I be more fortunate if I obliged the 

 Cerceris to use her sting in self-defence ? I en- 

 closed a Cerceris and a Cleonus in the same 

 bottle and stirred them up by shaking it. The 

 Wasp, with her sensitive nature, was more im- 

 pressed than the other prisoner, with his dull 

 and clumsy organization ; she thought of flight, 

 not of attack. The very parts were inter- 

 changed : the Weevil, becoming the aggressor, 

 at times seized with his snout a leg of his 

 mortal enemy, who was so greatly overcome 

 with fear that she did not even seek to defend 

 herself. I was at the end of my resources ; 

 yet my wish to behold the catastrophe was 

 but increased by the difficulties already ex- 

 perienced. Well, I would try again. 



A bright idea flashed across my mind, enter- 

 ing so naturally into the very heart of the 

 question that it brought hope in its train. Yes, 

 that must be it ; the thing was bound to suc- 

 ceed. I must offer my scorned game to the 

 Cerceris in the heat of the chase. Then, 

 carried away by her absorbing preoccupation, 

 she would not perceive its imperfections. 



I have already said that, on her return from 

 hunting, the Cerceris alights at the foot of the 

 slope, at some distance from the hole, whither 

 she laboriously drags her prey. It became a 

 matter, therefore, of robbing her of ^^herlvictim 



