152 The Hwitiiig Wasps 



not loose her hold. I have with me a pair of 

 sharp scissors, belonging to my little entomo- 

 logical case. I use them and promptly cut the 

 harness-ropes, the Ephippiger's long antennae. 

 The Sphex continues to move ahead, but soon 

 stops, astonished at the sudden decrease in the 

 weight of the burden which she is trailing, for 

 this burden is now reduced merely to the two 

 antenn^e, snipped off by my mischievous wiles. 

 The real load, the heavy, pot-bellied insect, 

 remains behind and is instantly replaced by 

 my live specimen. The Wasp turns round, 

 lets go the ropes that now draw nothing after 

 them, and retraces her steps. She comes face 

 to face with the prey substituted for her own. 

 She examines it, walks round it gingerly, then 

 stops, moistens her foot with saliva, and begins 

 to wash her eyes. In this attitude of medita- 

 tion, can some such thought as the following 

 pass through her mind : 



' Come now ! Am I awake or am I asleep ? 

 Do I know what I am about or do I not ? That 

 thing 's not mine. Who or what is trying to 

 humbug me ? ' 



At any rate, the Sphex shows no great hurry 

 to attack my prey with her mandibles. She 

 keeps away from it and shows not the smallest 

 wish to seize it. To excite her, I offer the 

 insect to her in my fmgers, I almost thrust the 



