The Ignorance of Instinct 179 



near ; so to-day's home, which is too far away 

 for the next Ephippiger to be conveyed to it, 

 cannot be utihzed to-morrow. Thus, as each 

 prey is caught, there is a fresh excavation, a 

 fresh burrow, with its single chamber, now here, 

 now there. Having said this, we will try a 

 few experiments to see how the insect behaves 

 when we create circumstances new to it. 



Experiment I 



A Sphex, dragging her prey along, is a few 

 inches from the burrow. Without disturbing 

 her, I cut with a pair of scissors the Ephippiger's 

 antennae, which the Wasp, as we know, uses 

 for harness-ropes. On recovering from the 

 surprise caused by the sudden lightening of her 

 load, the Sphex goes back to her victim and, 

 without hesitation, now seizes the root of the 

 antenna, the short stump left by the scissors. 

 It is very short indeed, hardly a millimetre ; ^ 

 no matter : it is enough for the Sphex, who 

 grips this fag-end of a rope and resumes her 

 hauling. With the greatest precaution, so as 

 not to injure the Wasp, I now cut the two 

 antennary stumps level with the skull. Finding 

 nothing left to catch hold of at the familiar 

 points, the insect seizes, close by, one of the 



^ "039 inch. — Translator's Note. 



