March i6, 1899] 



NA TURE 



467 



English zoologist, the same genera and closely similar 

 species occurring in very large numbers. The present 

 writer has had the great privilege, in the summer of 

 iSq7, of seeing Dr. and Mrs. Peckham at their work, and 

 of discussing with them many of their results. 



The habits of one or more species of the following genera 

 were studied with the utmost care, and are described in 

 Chapters i.-xiv. : Aininophila^ Sp/tex, R/iopalum, S/ii^iiuis, 

 Crabro, Salhis, Aporus, Beinbex, Oxybelus, Trypoxylon, 

 Asiata, Diodontus, Cerccn's, Philanthus, Pompilus, 

 Agenia, Tac/iy/es, Lyi'oda, Pn'oioiiyx, Chlorion, Harpac- 

 iopus, Pelopaeus. 



It will be admitted that the careful study of species in 

 these twenty-two genera constitutes a serious amount of 

 evidence which entitles the authors' conclusions to the 

 most careful consideration. 



Chapter xv. contains a reswite of the most interesting 

 observations and conclusions in Paul IVrarchal's im- 

 portant monograph on Ci'/rois ornata. Chapter xvi. is 



movement on the part of the unfortunate caterpillar,'' 

 which was then stung between the third and the second, 

 and between the second and the first segments. The 

 wasp then circled in the air above the caterpillar, ''and 

 then, descending, seized it again, further back this time, 

 and with great deliberation and nicety of action gave it 

 four more stings, beginning between the ninth and tenth 

 segments and progressing backward." The second wasp 

 also stung the third, second, and first segments in order : 

 and then she went on to sting the fourth, fifth, sixth and 

 seventh, but stopped at this point, proceeding, however, 

 to bite the neck of the caterpillar in a very thorough 

 manner (malaxation). In the third e.xample the wasp 

 gave one sting between the third and fourth segment, and 

 then spent a long time in biting the neck. In this case, 

 however, the caterpillar had been placed by the ob 

 servers in the way of the wasp, and she seemed rathe, 

 indifferent to it. 



I have quoted these observations at some length. 



■ofhiln nr 



stinging caterpillar. 



devoted to the sense of direction ; xvii. to the stinging 

 habit in wasps ; while Chapter xviii. states the conclu- 

 sions upon the instinct and intelligence of wasps, which 

 the authors believe to be justified by their observations. 

 The fourteen plates are skilfully drawn by J. H. 

 Enierton, who illustrated the authors' works on spiders. 

 Plates I. and II. contain excellent coloured illustrations 

 of thirteen of the species whose habits are described ; 

 the remaining plates are uncoloured. Plates III., IV. 

 and V. deal with the habits of Aminophila iirnaria, the 

 most interesting of the species which were stutiied. 

 Fig. I is a reproduction of Plate IV. (p. ii), and show-s 

 the manner in which Ainiiwphila stings the caterpillars, 

 which it stores up in the burrow in which it lays its egg. 

 After much patient watching the whole process was 

 observed from beginning to end on three occasions. On 

 the first of these the caterpillar was first stung on the 

 ventral surface between the third and fourth segments. 

 " From this instant there was a complete cessation of 

 NO. 1533, VOL. 59] 



because a closely allied European wasp {A. hirsiita) 

 seems more than any other species to have afforded the 

 evidence relied upon by Fabre and those who have- 

 followed him. By the study of but nine wasps of the 

 same genus, and fifteen caterpillars, the American 

 naturalists have shown that the immense superstructure 

 which has been raised on so small a foundation is in 

 large part due to a fertile imagination. So far from the 

 assumed perfection and accuracy with which every detail 

 is supposed to be repeated, the instinct is shown to be 

 excessively variable. The frequently quoted conclusions 

 that the object of the sting is to reduce the larva to 

 helplessness and yet to keep it in a fresh condition, that 

 a dead larva would be unsuitable food and an active one 

 a danger to the offspring of the wasp— all these con- 

 clusions are entirely disposed of by a few carefully 

 specially directed observations. These show that the 

 larva rapidly dies in a large proportion of cases and yet 

 affords excellent food, and that it may remain sufficiently 



