287 
NERVE SPECIALISTS 
pillars, crickets, or what not, according to the 
particular taste of the species. The odd part 
about this stock of provisions is that the game 
supplied is not dead, but stung into insensibility, 
and so is kept wholesome and fresh until the little 
wasp grubs are hatched and ready to feed upon 
it. This is where the skill of the nerve specialist 
comes into play. Each little expert knows by in¬ 
stinct just where to plunge her hypodermic nee¬ 
dle in order to strike the nerve centers and render 
the body inert and motionless without killing it. 
Both wise and merciful is this method of slaugh¬ 
ter. And indeed it is the only solution to the 
digger householder’s problem; any game that was 
killed outright and buried for the use of the off¬ 
spring would decay and perish utterly before the 
little ones were in condition to use it. Besides 
their wisdom in this instance is to be considered 
their ingenuity in taking their prey, the skill with 
which their burrows are hidden, the individuality 
of the different tribes, and their cleverness in us¬ 
ing improvised tools. But wait! you shall see 
and judge for yourselves. 
“ I had the good luck to run on to the burrow 
of a hairy sand wasp yesterday. Of course, as 
you will presently see, I should never have lo¬ 
cated it, had I not chanced upon Mrs. Hairy just 
as she was in the act of sealing up the place, and 
I set a mark of my own for future reference. 
