Chapter v 



THE THREE DAGGER-THRUSTS 



There is no doubt that the Sphex displays her 

 most cunning resources at the moment of 

 immolating a Cricket ; it is important, therefore, 

 to ascertain the manner wherein the victim is 

 sacrificed. Profiting by the repeated attempts 

 which I had made when I was studying the 

 tactics of the Cerceres, I at once applied to the 

 Sphex the method which had succeeded with 

 the other Wasps, a method that consisted in 

 taking the prey from the huntress and forthwith 

 replacing it by another, living prey. The sub- 

 stitution is all the easier inasmuch as we have 

 seen the Sphex herself releasing her victim in 

 order to go down the burrow for a moment 

 alone. Her daring familiarity, which makes 

 her come and take from your fingers and even 

 out of your hand the Cricket whom you have 

 stolen from her and now offer her again, also 

 lends itself admirably to the successful issue of 

 the experiment, by allowing you to observe 

 every detail of the drama closely. 



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