AFFECTION OF INSECTS FOR THEIR YOUNG. 345 



ing the dust into it like a dog with its fore feet, and en- 

 tering it as if to press down and consolidate the mass : 

 flying also once or twice to an adjoining fir-tree, possi- 

 bly to procure resin for agglutinating the whole. Having 

 filled the burrow to a level with the surrounding earth so 

 as to conceal the entrance, it took two fir-leaves lying at 

 hand, and placed them near the orifice as if to mark the 

 place. — Such is the anecdote left on record by our illus- 

 trious countryman, of whose accuracy of observation 

 there can be no doubt. Who that reads it can refrain 

 from joining in the reflection which it calls from him, 

 " Qiiis hdcc non mihi miretur et stupeat ? Qjds higusmodi 

 opera merce machines possit attribuere* ? n 



I myself, when walking with a friend some months 

 ago, observed nearly similar manoeuvres performed by 

 a species of Pompilus (Spkex, L.), which attracted our 

 attention as it was dragging a spider to its cell. The 

 attitude in which it carried its prey, namely with its feet 

 constantly upwards ; its singular mode of walking, which 

 was backwards, except for a foot or two when it went 

 forwards, moving by jerks and making a sort of pause 

 every few steps ; and the astonishing agility with which, 

 notwithstanding its heavy burthen, it glided over or be- 

 tween the grass, weeds, and other numerous impediments 

 in the rough path along which it passed — together formed 

 a spectacle which we contemplated with admiration. The 

 distance which we thus observed it to traverse was not 

 less than twenty-seven feet, and great part of its journey 

 had probably been performed before we saw it. Once 

 or twice, when we first noticed it, it laid down the spider, 

 * Rai. Hist. Ins. 354. 



