40 



RIO DE JANEIRO. May — June, 1832. 



When the ants came to the road they changed their course, 

 and in narrow files reascended the wall. Having placed a 

 small stone, so as to intercept one of the lines, the whole 

 body attacked it, and then immediately retired. Shortly 

 afterwards another body came to the charge, and again 

 having failed to make any impression, this line of march 

 was entirely given up. By going an inch round, the file 

 might have avoided the stone, and this doubtless would have 

 happened, if it had been originally there : but having been 

 attacked, the lion-hearted little warriors scorned the idea of 

 yielding. 



Certain wasp-like insects, which construct in the corners 

 of the verandahs clay cells for their larvse, are very numerous 

 in the neighbourhood of Rio. These cells they stuff full of 

 dead and dying spiders and caterpillars. 1 was much inte- 

 rested one 'day by watching a deadly contest between a Pepsis 

 and a large spider of the genus Lycosa. The wasp made a 

 sudden dash at its prey, and then flew away : the spider was 

 evidently wounded, for trying to escape, it rolled down a 

 little slope, but had still strength sufficient to crawl into a 

 thick tuft of grass. The wasp soon returned, and seemed 

 surprised at not immediately finding its victim. It then 

 commenced as regular a hunt, as ever hound did after fox ; 

 making short semicircular casts, and all the time rapidly 

 vibrating its wings and antennae. The spider, though well 

 concealed, was soon discovered; and the wasp, evidently 

 still afraid of its adversary's jaws, after much manoeuvring, 

 inflicted two stings on the under side of its thorax. At last, 

 carefully examining with its antennse the now motionless 

 spider, it proceeded to drag away the body. But I stopped 

 both tyrant and prey.* 



The number of spiders in proportion to other insects, is 



* Don Felix Azara, vol. i., p. 175, mentioning a hymenopterous insect, 

 probably of the same genus, says, he saw it dragging a dead spider 

 through tall grass, in a straight line to its nest, which was one hundred 

 and sixty-three paces distant. He adds that the wasp, in order to find 

 the road, every now and then made " demi-tours d'environ trois palmes." 



