•5oo 
SHE SAf AGE,. 
Genus V. — Sphex. "The Savage. 
T he mouth of this tribe is armed with jaws, but has n® 
tongue ; the antennae have ten articulations, and the 
wings are extended, and laid horizontally upon the back; 
the fling lies concealed within the body. 
This g^nus contains infers, perhaps the moft fierce 
and rapacious of this clafs of beings. The favage, or 
ground bee, does not feed upon honey, or accommodate 
its young with that kind of provifion. They attack in- 
fers much beyond their own fize, and that whether they 
are defencelefs or armed ; for they are provided with 
ftrong jaws, and a fling poifoned with a liquor fatal to 
every animal they engage The favage feizcs boldly on 
the infeft he attacks, and gives it a ftroke of amazing 
force. After this firft encounter, he falls down, as if he 
had himfelf received the mortal blow; but it is only to 
reft from his fatigue, and to oblerve the effects of his 
prowefs. By and by, the wounded animal dies ; and 
while yet palpitating with life, the favage devours thofe 
parts which he finds moft pslatable, leaving the gieater 
part entire. 
It is thus that the fphex riots in the blood of hundreds 
of inledts ; and his family is no fooner increafed, than the' 
carnage becomes proportioned to the number of young 
he has to fupport. After the female has depofited her 
eggs in the bottom of a cell dug in the giound, or in the 
mud 
