Chapter xvi 



A PARASITE OF THE BEMBEX. THE COCOON 



1 HAVE shown the Bembex hovering with her 

 cumbrous prize above the nest and then drop- 

 ping vertically and very slowly : a hesitating 

 descent accompanied by a sort of plaintive 

 hum. This cautious arrival might suggest that 

 the insect is examining the ground from above 

 in order to find its door and trying to recall the 

 locality before ahghting. But another motive 

 is at work, as I propose to demonstrate. Under 

 ordinary conditions, when no sign of danger 

 is apparent, the Wasp comes suddenly, at full 

 tilt, without any hovering, hesitating or whim- 

 pering, and settles at once on her threshold or 

 very near it. Her memory is so faithful that 

 she has no need to search about. Let us then 

 look into the cause of that hesitating approach 

 which I described in the last chapter. 



The Wasp hovers, descends slowly, ascends 

 again, flies away and returns, because the 

 nest is threatened by a very grave danger. 

 Her plaintive hum denotes anxiety : she never 



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