1 1 8 The Hunting JVasps 



actuating men and animals, was walking one 

 day in his garden when he saw on the path a 

 Sphex who had just possessed herself of a Fly 

 almost as large as herself. He saw her cut off 

 the victim's head and abdomen with her 

 mandibles, keeping only the thorax, to which 

 the wings remained attached, after which she 

 flew away ; but a breath of wind, striking the 

 Fly's wings, made the Sphex spin round and 

 prevented her progress ; hereupon she alighted 

 again on the path, cut off one of the Fly's 

 wings and then the other, and, after thus de- 

 stroying the cause of her difficulties, resumed 

 her flight with what remained of her prey. 

 This fact carries with it manifest signs of 

 reasoning power. Instinct might have led this 

 Sphex to cut off her victim's wings before 

 carrying it to her nest, as do some species of 

 the same genus ; but here there was a sequence 

 of ideas and results from those ideas, which 

 are quite inexplicable unless we allow the inter- 

 vention of reason.' 



This little story, which so lightly grants 

 reason to an insect, lacks I will not say truth, 



not feel justified in taking. Besides, the footnote to the afore- 

 mentioned chapter of The Mason-bees^ which precedes the present 

 volume in the English edition, makes sufficient amends for any 

 injury done to the elder Darwin's reputation here. — Translator's 

 Note. 



