1 66 The Hiinting Wasps 



How did these insects come to be at hand, 

 at the moment when they were wanted, for an 

 experiment tried in vain twenty years ago ? 

 That is another story. A Lesser Grey Shrike 

 had nested in one of the tall plane-trees of the 

 avenue. Now a few days earlier, the mistral, 

 the brutal north-west wind of our parts, blew 

 with such violence as to bend the branches as 

 well as the reeds ; and the nest, turned upside 

 down by the swaying of its support, had 

 dropped its contents, four small birds. Next 

 morning I found the brood upon the ground ; 

 three were killed by the fall, the fourth was 

 still alive. The survivor was entrusted to the 

 cares of Emile, who went Cricket-hunting twice 

 a day on the neighbouring grass-plots for the 

 benefit of his young charge. But Crickets are 

 small^and the nurseling's appetite called for 

 many of them. Another dish was preferred, 

 the Ephippiger, of whom a stock was collected 

 from time to time among the stalks and prickly 

 leaves of the eryngo. The three insects which 

 Emile brought me came from the Shrike's 

 larder. My pity for the fallen nestling had 

 procured me this unhoped-for success. 



After making the circle of spectators stand 

 back so as to leave the field clear for the Sphex, 

 I take away her prey with a pair of pincers 

 and at once give her in exchange one of my 



