::::::::e»- two BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO B"""-: 



The wasp first flew five or six feet into the air, circled 

 around once or twice, then returned, and dragged its 

 prey ( which was larger than itself) laboriously to the 

 top of a rock, tumbling headlong down the opposite 

 steep slope into the water. A very foolish wasp, quoth 

 I, but wait : we know not what to expect of these 

 tropical creatures. Without an instant's hesitation, 

 as if it were an every-day habit or instinct, the wasp 

 stretched out its four front legs upon the surface of 

 the water, grasped the floating spider with its two hind 

 legs, and, spreading its wings, buzzed merrily ujjstream 

 over the ripples ! The insect could not possibly have 

 floAvn with this hea^'y burden. But the end was yet to 

 come. 



The wasp evidently A\dshed to reach a large boulder, 

 some two feet from shore, past which the water swirled 

 rapidly. After several ineffectual attempts to tow its 

 burden across, it clambered along a rock on the shore, 

 dragging the sj^ider just clear of the surface until it 

 reached a spot where the water ran with less force. 

 Here it again launched out, keeping close to shore. 

 This time it reached a point which was a foot or two 

 upstream above the boulder. Then the wasp turned 

 abruptly outward, redoubled its efforts, and instantly 

 was tumbled and rocked about in the midst of the rip- 

 ples — which, to it, were waves of no mean size. It 

 was carried swiftly downstream, but, by aiming toward 

 the rock and working its wings frantically so that they 



" <4 166 ^ 



