156 The Hunting IVasps 



meant to devour it. I have taken from the 

 burrow of the Sphex Ephippigers struggHng just 

 as lustily as when they were first half-paralysed ; 

 and nevertheless the feeble grub, hatched but 

 a few hours since, was digging its teeth into the 

 gigantic victim in all security ; the dwarf was 

 biting into the colossus without danger to itself. 

 This striking result is due to the spot selected 

 by the mother for laying her egg. I have 

 already said how the Yellow-winged Sphex 

 glues her ^g^, to the Cricket's breast, a little 

 to one side, between the first and second pair 

 of legs. Exactly the same place is chosen by 

 the White-edged Sphex ; and a similar place, 

 a little farther back, towards the root of one 

 of the large hind-thighs, is adopted by the 

 Languedocian Sphex, all three thus giving 

 proof, by this uniformity, of wonderful discern- 

 ment in picking out the spot where the ^g'g is 

 bound to be safe. 



Consider the Ephippiger pent in the burrow. 

 She lies stretched upon her back, absolutely 

 incapable of turning. In vain she struggles, 

 in vain she writhes : the disordered movements 

 of her legs are lost in space, the room being too 

 wide to afford them the support of its walls. 

 The grub cares nothing for the victim's con- 

 vulsion. : it is at a spot where naught can 

 reach it, . ot tarsi, nor mandibles, nor ovipositor, 



