ZOOLOGY. 149 
we marked, with attentive curiosity, his awkward gait while 
lifting his long, unwieldy legs above the short blades of grass, 
and wondered for what uses and purposes this ugly little mon- 
ster was placed upon this beautiful globe. While attentively 
watching the motions of one of these insects during our walk, 
we were much surprised to see the object of our attractiou 
suddenly stop short in his wanderings and raise itself up to its 
full height, as though watching the coming of some unwelcome 
visitor. We at first supposed that it had just espied us, and 
was expecting danger at our hands; but upon our retreating a 
few steps, he quickly crouched behind a tuft of dried grass, and 
remaining very quiet, seemed to make himself as small as pos- 
sible. A slight buzzing was heard in the air, and in a moment 
a wasp passed near, hovering on the wing over his trembling 
victim, the much-dreaded tarantula. Like some bird of prey, 
the wasp remained thus poised a moment, and then, quick as 
thought, darted down upon the enemy, and stung him many 
times with great rapidity. The tarantula, smarting under the 
pain, began a retreat, with all the speed of which he was ca- 
pable; but the wasp hung over him with wonderful tenacity, 
and again and again struck him with his venomous sting. 
Gradually the flight of the tarantula became slower and more 
irregular, and at length, under the repeated thrusts of his con- 
queror, he died, biting the grass with his terrible fangs.” 
Locusts and grasshoppers are abundant in the valleys; mus- 
quitoes in the tules, and along the streams in the Sacramento 
Basin; and fleas everywhere. 
§ 127. Honey-Dew Aphis— Among the noteworthy insects 
of the state is one which secretes a sweet liquid called “ honey- 
dew,” and deposits it on trees. It is transparent, thick like 
honey, and sweet, sometimes with a bitter after-taste, but more 
frequently having a flavor like parched corn. The leaves and 
twigs are covered with it, the deposit usually being nearly 
even, occasionally in spots or drops. The honey-dew is more 
frequently found on oak-trees than on any other tree or bush; 
and oftener in dry seasons, and remote from the coast, than in 
