35^ The Hunthig Wasps 



me in the first instance ; it did not, there- 

 fore, take place. It follows that this cerebral 

 compression is a resource which the Wasp 

 has at her disposal, for use when circum- 

 stances demand it, as for instance when the 

 victim seems likely to offer resistance on the 

 road. 



The malaxation of the cervical ganglia is 

 optional : it has no bearing on the future of the 

 larva ; the Wasp practises it, when needful, 

 to facilitate transport. I have seen the Langue- 

 docian Sphex, who gave me so much trouble in 

 the old days, at work fairly often, but only once 

 has she performed this operation on the neck 

 of her Ephippiger in my presence. The in- 

 variable and absolutely necessary part of the 

 Hairy Ammophila's procedure seems therefore 

 to be the multiplicity of stings and their distri- 

 bution one by one over all or nearly all the nerve- 

 centres along the median line of the lower 

 surface. 



Let us place side by side with the murderous 

 art of the Wasp the murderous art of man, prac- 

 tical man, whose business it is to slay rapidly. 

 I will here recall one of my childhood's memories. 

 We were schoolboys of twelve years old, or 

 thereabouts. We were being instructed in the 

 woes of Meliboeus, pouring out his sorrows on 

 the bosom of Tityrus, who offers him his chest- 



