The Great Cerceris 37 



by drawing it away by one foot with my forceps 

 and at once throwing her the live Weevil in 

 exchange. The trick succeeded to perfection. 

 As soon as the Cerceris felt her prey slip from 

 under her belly and escape her, she tapped the 

 ground impatiently with her feet, turned round 

 and, perceiving the Weevil that had taken the 

 place of her own, flung herself upon him and 

 clasped him in her legs to carry him away. 

 But she soon became aware that her prey was 

 alive ; and now the tragedy began, only to 

 end with inconceivable rapidity. The Wasp 

 faced her victim and, gripping its snout with 

 her powerful mandibles, soon had it at her 

 mercy. Then, while the Weevil reared on his 

 six legs, the other pressed her forefeet violently 

 on his back, as if to force open some ventral 

 joint. I next saw the assassin's abdomen slip 

 under the Cleonus' belly, bend into a curve, 

 and dart its poisoned lancet briskly, two or 

 three times, into the joint of the pro thorax, 

 between the first and second pair of legs. All 

 was over in a moment. Without the least con- 

 vulsive movement, without any of that stretch- 

 ing of the limbs which accompanies an animal's 

 death, the victim fell motionless for all time, 

 as though struck by lightning. It was terribly 

 and at the same time wonderfully quick. The 

 murderess next turned the body on its back, 



