The Langitedocian Sphex 147 



circumstances seem to demand ? Not at all. 

 The Sphex adopts the toilsome method of 

 scaling a perpendicular wall, with a surface 

 smoothed by the mason's trowel and measuring 

 twenty to twenty-five feet in height. Seeing 

 her take this road, dragging the game between 

 her legs, I at first think the feat impossible ; 

 but I am soon reassured as to the outcome of 

 the bold attempt. Getting a foothold on the 

 little roughnesses in the mortar, the plucky 

 insect, despite the hindrance of her heavy load, 

 walks up this vertical plane with the same 

 assured gait and the same speed as on level 

 ground. The top is reached without the least 

 accident ; and the prey is laid temporarily 

 on the edge of the roof, upon the rounded back 

 of a tile. While the digger gives a finishing 

 touch to the burrow, the badly-balanced prey 

 slips and drops to the foot of the wall. The 

 thing must be done all over again and once 

 more by laboriously climbing the height. The 

 same mistake is repeated. Again the prey is 

 incautiously left on the curved tile, again it 

 slips and again it falls to the ground. With a 

 composure which accidents such as these cannot 

 disturb, the Sphex for the third time hoists up 

 the Ephippiger by scaling the wall and, better 

 advised, drags her forthwith right into the home. 

 As even under these conditions no attempt 



