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Henri Fabre + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of More Hunting Wasps, by J. Henri Fabre + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: More Hunting Wasps + +Author: J. Henri Fabre + +Release Date: February 12, 2009 [EBook #3462] +Last Updated: January 22, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORE HUNTING WASPS *** + + + + +Produced by Sue Asscher, and David Widger + + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + MORE HUNTING WASPS + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + By J. Henri Fabre + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h3> + Translated By Alexander Teixeira De Mattos, F. Z. S. + </h3> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h2> + TRANSLATOR'S NOTE. + </h2> + <p> + The fourteen chapters contained in this volume complete the list of essays + in the "Souvenirs entomologiques" devoted to Wasps. The remainder will be + found in the two earlier volumes of this collected edition entitled "The + Hunting Wasps" and the "Mason-wasps" respectively. + </p> + <p> + Chapter 2 has appeared before in my version of "The Life and Love of the + Insect," an illustrated volume of extracts translated by myself and + published by Messrs. Adam and Charles Black (in America by the Macmillan + Co.), and Chapter 10 in a similar miscellany translated by Mr. Bernard + Miall published by Messrs. T. Fisher Unwin Ltd. (in America by the Century + Co.) under the title of "Social Life in the Insect World." These two + chapters are included in the present book by arrangement with the original + firms. + </p> + <p> + I wish to place on record my thanks to Mr. Miall for the valuable + assistance which he has given me in preparing this translation. + </p> + <p> + ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS. + </p> + <p> + Ventnor, I. W., 6 December, 1920. + </p> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h2> + Contents + </h2> + <p> + <a href="#link2H_4_0001"> TRANSLATOR'S NOTE. </a> + </p> + <table summary="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto"> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER 1. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE POMPILI. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER 2. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE SCOLIAE. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER 3. </a> + </td> + <td> + A DANGEROUS DIET. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER 4. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE CETONIA-LARVA. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0006"> CHAPTER 5. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE PROBLEM OF THE SCOLIAE. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER 6. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE TACHYTES. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER 7. </a> + </td> + <td> + CHANGE OF DIET. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER 8. </a> + </td> + <td> + A DIG AT THE EVOLUTIONISTS. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER 9. </a> + </td> + <td> + RATIONING ACCORDING TO SEX. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER 10. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE BEE-EATING PHILANTHUS. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER 11. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE METHOD OF THE AMMOPHILAE. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0013"> CHAPTER 12. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE METHOD OF THE SCOLIAE. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0014"> CHAPTER 13. </a> + </td> + <td> + THE METHOD OF THE CALICURGI. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + <a href="#link2HCH0015"> CHAPTER 14. </a> + </td> + <td> + OBJECTIONS AND REJOINDERS. + </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> + </td> + </tr> + </table> + <p> + <a href="#link2H_4_0017"> INDEX. </a> <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER 1. THE POMPILI. + </h2> + <p> + (This essay should be read in conjunction with that on the Black-bellied + Tarantula. Cf. "The Life of the Spider," by J. Henri Fabre, translated by + Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapter 1.—Translator's Note.) + </p> + <p> + The Ammophila's caterpillar (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps," by J. Henri Fabre, + translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapters 13 and 18 to 20; and + Chapter 11 of the present volume.—Translator's Note.), the Bembex + (Cf. idem: chapter 14.—Translator's Note.), Gad-fly, the Cerceris + (Cf. idem: chapters 1 to 3.—Translator's Note.), Buprestis (A Beetle + usually remarkable for her brilliant colouring. Cf. idem: chapter 1.—Translator's + Note.) and Weevil, the Sphex (Cf. idem: chapter 4 to 10.—Translator's + Note.), Locust, Cricket and Ephippiger (Cf. "The Life of the Grasshopper," + by J. Henri Fabre, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapters 13 + and 14.—Translator's Note.): all these inoffensive peaceable victims + are like the silly Sheep of our slaughter-houses; they allow themselves to + be operated upon by the paralyser, submitting stupidly, without offering + much resistance. The mandibles gape, the legs kick and protest, the body + wriggles and twists; and that is all. They have no weapons capable of + contending with the assassin's dagger. I should like to see the huntress + grappling with an imposing adversary, one as crafty as herself, an expert + layer of ambushes and, like her, bearing a poisoned dirk. I should like to + see the bandit armed with her stiletto confronted by another bandit + equally familiar with the use of that weapon. Is such a duel possible? + Yes, it is quite possible and even quite common. On the one hand we have + the Pompili, the protagonists who are always victorious; on the other hand + we have the Spiders, the protagonists who are always overthrown. + </p> + <p> + Who that has diverted himself, however little, with the study of insects + does not know the Pompili? Against old walls, at the foot of the banks + beside unfrequented footpaths, in the stubble after the harvest, in the + tangles of dry grass, wherever the Spider spreads her nets, who has not + seen them busily at work, now running hither and thither, at random, their + wings raised and quivering above their backs, now moving from place to + place in flights long or short? They are hunting for a quarry which might + easily turn the tables and itself prey upon the trapper lying in wait for + it. + </p> + <p> + The Pompili feed their larvae solely on Spiders; and the Spiders feed on + any insect, commensurate with their size, that is caught in their nets. + While the first possess a sting, the second have two poisoned fangs. Often + their strength is equally matched; indeed the advantage is not seldom on + the Spider's side. The Wasp has her ruses of war, her cunningly + premeditated strokes: the Spider has her wiles and her set traps; the + first has the advantage of great rapidity of movement, while the second is + able to rely upon her perfidious web; the one has a sting which contrives + to penetrate the exact point to cause paralysis, the other has fangs which + bite the back of the neck and deal sudden death. We find the paralyser on + the one hand and the slaughterer on the other. Which of the two will + become the other's prey? + </p> + <p> + If we consider only the relative strength of the adversaries, the power of + their weapons, the virulence of their poisons and their different modes of + action, the scale would very often be weighted in favour of the Spider. + Since the Pompilus always emerges victorious from this contest, which + appears to be full of peril for her, she must have a special method, of + which I would fain learn the secret. + </p> + <p> + In our part of the country, the most powerful and courageous + Spider-huntress is the Ringed Pompilus (Calicurgus annulatus, FAB.), clad + in black and yellow. She stands high on her legs; and her wings have black + tips, the rest being yellow, as though exposed to smoke, like a bloater. + Her size is about that of the Hornet (Vespa crabro). She is rare. I see + three or four of her in the course of the year; and I never fail to halt + in the presence of the proud insect, rapidly striding through the dust of + the fields when the dog-days arrive. Its audacious air, its uncouth gait, + its war-like bearing long made me suspect that to obtain its prey it had + to make some impossible, terrible, unspeakable capture. And my guess was + correct. By dint of waiting and watching I beheld that victim; I saw it in + the huntress' mandibles. It is the Black-bellied Tarantula, the terrible + Spider who slays a Carpenter-bee or a Bumble-bee outright with one stroke + of her weapon; the Spider who kills a Sparrow or a Mole; the formidable + creature whose bite would perhaps not be without danger to ourselves. Yes, + this is the bill of fare which the proud Pompilus provides for her larva. + </p> + <p> + This spectacle, one of the most striking with which the Hunting Wasps have + ever provided me, has as yet been offered to my eyes but once; and that + was close beside my rural home, in the famous laboratory of the harmas. + (The enclosed piece of waste land on which the author studied his insects + in their native state. Cf. "The Life of the Fly," by J. Henri Fabre, + translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapter 1.—Translator's + Note.) I can still see the intrepid poacher dragging by the leg, at the + foot of a wall, the monstrous prize which she had just secured, doubtless + at no great distance. At the base of the wall was a hole, an accidental + chink between some of the stones. The Wasp inspected the cavern, not for + the first time: she had already reconnoitred it and the premises had + satisfied her. The prey, deprived of the power of movement, was waiting + somewhere, I know not where; and the huntress had gone back to fetch it + and store it away. It was at this moment that I met her. The Pompilus gave + a last glance at the cave, removed a few small fragments of loose mortar; + and with that her preparations were completed. The Lycosa (The Spider in + question is known indifferently as the Black-bellied Tarantula and the + Narbonne Lycosa.—Translator's Note.) was introduced, dragged along, + belly upwards, by one leg. I did not interfere. Presently the Wasp + reappeared on the surface and carelessly pushed in front of the hole the + bits of mortar which she had just extracted from it. Then she flew away. + It was all over. The egg was laid; the insect had finished for better or + for worse; and I was able to proceed with my examination of the burrow and + its contents. + </p> + <p> + The Pompilus has done no digging. It is really an accidental hole with + spacious winding passages, the result of the mason's negligence and not of + the Wasp's industry. The closing of the cavity is quite as rough and + summary. A few crumbs of mortar, heaped up before the doorway, form a + barricade rather than a door. A mighty hunter makes a poor architect. The + Tarantula's murderess does not know how to dig a cell for her larva; she + does not know how to fill up the entrance by sweeping dust into it. The + first hole encountered at the foot of a wall contents her, provided that + it be roomy enough; a little heap of rubbish will do for a door. Nothing + could be more expeditious. + </p> + <p> + I withdraw the game from the hole. The egg is stuck to the Spider, near + the beginning of the belly. A clumsy movement on my part makes it fall off + at the moment of extraction. It is all over: the thing will not hatch; I + shall not be able to observe the development of the larva. The Tarantula + lies motionless, flexible as in life, with not a trace of a wound. In + short, we have here life without movement. From time to time the tips of + the tarsi quiver a little; and that is all. Accustomed of old to these + deceptive corpses, I can see in my mind's eye what has happened: the + Spider has been stung in the region of the thorax, no doubt once only, in + view of the concentration of her nervous system. I place the victim in a + box in which it retains all the pliancy and all the freshness of life from + the 2nd of August to the 20th of September, that is to say, for seven + weeks. These miracles are familiar to us (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": passim.—Translator's + Note.); there is no need to linger over them here. + </p> + <p> + The most important matter has escaped me. What I wanted, what I still want + to see is the Pompilus engaged in mortal combat with the Lycosa. What a + duel, in which the cunning of the one has to overcome the terrible weapons + of the other! Does the Wasp enter the burrow to surprise the Tarantula at + the bottom of her lair? Such temerity would be fatal to her. Where the big + Bumble-bee dies an instant death, the audacious visitor would perish the + moment she entered. Is not the other there, facing her, ready to snap at + the back of her head, inflicting a wound which would result in sudden + death? No, the Pompilus does not enter the Spider's parlour, that is + obvious. Does she surprise the Spider outside her fortress? But the Lycosa + is a stay-at-home animal; I do not see her straying abroad during the + summer. Later, in the autumn, when the Pompili have disappeared, She + wanders about; turning gipsy, she takes the open air with her numerous + family, which she carries on her back. Apart from these maternal strolls, + she does not appear to me to leave her castle; and the Pompilus, I should + think, has no great chance of meeting her outside. The problem, we + perceive, is becoming complicated: the huntress cannot make her way into + the burrow, where she would risk sudden death; and the Spider's sedentary + habits make an encounter outside the burrow improbable. Here is a riddle + which would be interesting to decipher. Let us endeavour to do so by + observing other Spider-hunters; analogy will enable us to draw a + conclusion. + </p> + <p> + I have often watched Pompili of every species on their + hunting-expeditions, but I have never surprised them entering the Spider's + lodging when the latter was at home. Whether this lodging be a funnel + plunging its neck into a hole in some wall, an awning stretched amid the + stubble, a tent modelled upon the Arab's, a sheath formed of a few leaves + bound together, or a net with a guard-room attached, whenever the owner is + indoors the suspicious Pompilus holds aloof. When the dwelling is vacant, + it is another matter: the Wasp moves with arrogant ease over those webs, + springes and cables in which so many other insects would remain ensnared. + The silken threads do not seem to have any hold upon her. What is she + doing, exploring those empty webs? She is watching to see what is + happening on the adjacent webs where the Spider is ambushed. The Pompilus + therefore feels an insuperable reluctance to make straight for the Spider + when the latter is at home in the midst of her snares. And she is right, a + hundred times over. If the Tarantula understands the practice of the + dagger-thrust in the neck, which is immediately fatal, the other cannot be + unacquainted with it. Woe then to the imprudent Wasp who presents herself + upon the threshold of a Spider of approximately equal strength! + </p> + <p> + Of the various instances which I have collected of this cautious reserve + on the Spider-huntress' part I will confine myself to the following, which + will be sufficient to prove my point. By joining, with silken strands, the + three folioles which form the leaf of Virgil's cytisus, a Spider has built + herself a green arbour, a horizontal sheath, open at either end. A + questing Pompilus comes upon the scene, finds the game to her liking and + pops in her head at the entrance of the cell. The Spider immediately + retreats to the other end. The huntress goes round the Spider's dwelling + and reappears at the other door. Again the Spider retreats, returning to + the first entrance. The Wasp also returns to it, but always by the + outside. Scarcely has she done so, when the Spider rushes for the opposite + opening; and so on for fully a quarter of an hour, both of them coming and + going from one end of the cylinder to the other, the Spider inside and the + Pompilus outside. + </p> + <p> + The quarry was a valuable one, it seems, since the Wasp persisted for a + long time in her attempts, which were invariably defeated; however, the + huntress had to abandon them, baffled by this perpetual running to and + fro. The Pompilus made off; and the Spider, once more on the watch, + patiently awaited the heedless Midges. What should the Wasp have done to + capture this much-coveted game? She should have entered the verdant + cylinder, the Spider's dwelling, and pursued the Spider direct, in her own + house, instead of remaining outside, going from one door to the other. + With such swiftness and dexterity as hers, it seemed to me impossible that + the stroke should fail: the quarry moved clumsily, a little sideways, like + a Crab. I judged it to be an easy matter; the Pompilus thought it highly + dangerous. To-day I am of her opinion: if she had entered the leafy tube, + the mistress of the house would have operated on her neck and the huntress + would have become the quarry. + </p> + <p> + Years passed and the paralyser of the Spiders still refused to reveal her + secret; I was badly served by circumstances, could find no leisure, was + absorbed in unrelenting preoccupations. At length, during my last year at + Orange, the light dawned upon me. My garden was enclosed by an old wall, + blackened and ruined by time, where, in the chinks between the stones, + lived a population of Spiders, represented more particularly by Segestria + perfidia. This is the common Black Spider, or Cellar Spider. She is deep + black all over, excepting the mandibles, which are a splendid metallic + green. Her two poisoned daggers look like a product of the metal-worker's + art, like the finest bronze. In any mass of abandoned masonry there is not + a quiet corner, not a hole the size of one's finger, in which the + Segestria does not set up house. Her web is a widely flaring funnel, whose + open end, at most a span across, lies spread upon the surface of the wall, + where it is held in place by radiating threads. This conical surface is + continued by a tube which runs into a hole in the wall. At the end is the + dining-room to which the Spider retires to devour at her ease her captured + prey. + </p> + <p> + With her two hind-legs stuck into the tube to obtain a purchase and the + six others spread around the orifice, the better to perceive on every side + the quiver which gives the signal of a capture, the Segestria waits + motionless, at the entrance of her funnel, for an insect to become + entangled in the snare. Large Flies, Drone-flies, dizzily grazing some + thread of the snare with their wings, are her usual victims. At the first + flutter of the netted Fly, the Spider runs or even leaps forward, but she + is now secured by a cord which escapes from the spinnerets and which has + its end fastened to the silken tube. This prevents her from falling as she + darts along a vertical surface. Bitten at the back of the head, the + Drone-fly is dead in a moment; and the Segestria carries him into her + lair. + </p> + <p> + Thanks to this method and these hunting-appliances—an ambush at the + bottom of a silken whirlpool, radiating snares, a life-line which holds + her from behind and allows her to take a sudden rush without risking a + fall—the Segestria is able to catch game less inoffensive than the + Drone-fly. A Common Wasp, they tell me, does not daunt her. Though I have + not tested this, I readily believe it, for I well know the Spider's + boldness. + </p> + <p> + This boldness is reinforced by the activity of the venom. It is enough to + have seen the Segestria capture some large Fly to be convinced of the + overwhelming effect of her fangs upon the insects bitten in the neck. The + death of the Drone-fly, entangled in the silken funnel, is reproduced by + the sudden death of the Bumble-bee on entering the Tarantula's burrow. We + know the effect of the poison on man, thanks to Antoine Duges' + investigations. (Antoine Louis Duges (1797-1838), a French physician and + physiologist, author of a "Traite de physiologie comparee de l'homme et + des animaux" and other scientific works.—Translator's Note.) Let us + listen to the brave experimenter: + </p> + <p> + "The treacherous Segestria, or Great Cellar Spider, reputed poisonous in + our part of the country, was chosen for the principal subject of our + experiments. She was three-quarters of an inch long, measured from the + mandibles to the spinnerets. Taking her in my fingers from behind, by the + legs, which were folded and gathered together (this is the way to catch + hold of live Spiders, if you would avoid their bite and master them + without mutilating them), I placed her on various objects and on my + clothes, without her manifesting the least desire to do any harm; but + hardly was she laid on the bare skin of my fore-arm when she seized a fold + of the epidermis in her powerful mandibles, which are of a metallic green, + and drove her fangs deep into it. For a few moments she remained hanging, + although left free; then she released herself, fell and fled, leaving two + tiny wounds, a sixth of an inch apart, red, but hardly bleeding, with a + slight extravasation round the edge and resembling the wounds produced by + a large pin. + </p> + <p> + "At the moment of the bite, the sensation was sharp enough to deserve the + name of pain; and this continued for five or six minutes more, but not so + forcibly. I might compare it with the sensation produced by the + stinging-nettle. A whitish tumefaction almost immediately surrounded the + two pricks; and the circumference, within a radius of about an inch, was + coloured an erysipelas red, accompanied by a very slight swelling. In an + hour and a half, it had all disappeared, except the mark of the pricks, + which persisted for several days, as any other small wound would have + done. This was in September, in rather cool weather. Perhaps the symptoms + would have displayed somewhat greater severity at a warmer season." + </p> + <p> + Without being serious, the effect of the Segestria's poison is plainly + marked. A sting causing sharp pain and swelling, with the redness of + erysipelas, is no trifling matter. While Duges' experiment reassures us in + so far as we ourselves are concerned, it is none the less the fact that + the Cellar Spider's poison is a terrible thing for insects, whether + because of the small size of the victim, or because it acts with special + efficacy upon an organization which differs widely from our own. One + Pompilus, though greatly inferior to the Segestria in size and strength, + nevertheless makes war upon the Black Spider and succeeds in overpowering + this formidable quarry. This is Pompilus apicalis, VAN DER LIND, who is + hardly larger than the Hive-bee, but very much slenderer. She is of a + uniform black; her wings are a cloudy brown, with transparent tips. Let us + follow her in her expeditions to the old wall inhabited by the Segestria: + we will track her for whole afternoons during the July heats; and we will + arm ourselves with patience, for the perilous capture of the game must + take the Wasp a long time. + </p> + <p> + The Spider-huntress explores the wall minutely; she runs, leaps and flies; + she comes and goes, flitting to and fro. The antennae quiver; the wings, + raised above the back, continually beat one against the other. Ah, here + she is, close to a Segestria's funnel! The Spider, who has hitherto + remained invisible, instantly appears at the entrance to the tube; she + spreads her six fore-legs outside, ready to receive the huntress. Far from + fleeing before the terrible apparition, she watches the watcher, fully + prepared to prey upon her enemy. Before this intrepid demeanour the + Pompilus draws back. She examines the coveted game, walks round it for a + moment, then goes away without attempting anything. When she has gone, the + Segestria retires indoors, backwards. For the second time the Wasp passes + near an inhabited funnel. The Spider on the lookout at once shows herself + on the threshold of her dwelling, half out of her tube, ready for defence + and perhaps also for attack. The Pompilus moves away and the Segestria + reenters her tube. A fresh alarm: the Pompilus returns; another + threatening demonstration on the part of the Spider. Her neighbour, a + little later, does better than this: while the huntress is prowling about + in the neighbourhood of the funnel, she suddenly leaps out of the tube, + with the lifeline which will save her from falling, should she miss her + footing, attached to her spinnerets; she rushes forward and hurls herself + in front of the Pompilus, at a distance of some eight inches from her + burrow. The Wasp, as though terrified, immediately decamps; and the + Segestria no less suddenly retreats indoors. + </p> + <p> + Here, we must admit, is a strange quarry: it does not hide, but is eager + to show itself; it does not run away, but flings itself in front of the + hunter. If our observations were to cease here, could we say which of the + two is the hunter and which the hunted? Should we not feel sorry for the + imprudent Pompilus? Let a thread of the trap entangle her leg; and it is + all up with her. The other will be there, stabbing her in the throat. What + then is the method which she employs against the Segestria, always on the + alert, ready for defence, audacious to the point of aggression? Shall I + surprise the reader if I tell him that this problem filled me with the + most eager interest, that it held me for weeks in contemplation before + that cheerless wall? Nevertheless, my tale will be a short one. + </p> + <p> + On several occasions I see the Pompilus suddenly fling herself on one of + the Spider's legs, seize it with her mandibles and endeavour to draw the + animal from its tube. It is a sudden rush, a surprise attack, too quick to + permit the Spider to parry it. Fortunately, the latter's two hind-legs are + firmly hooked to the dwelling; and the Segestria escapes with a jerk, for + the other, having delivered her shock attack, hastens to release her hold; + if she persisted, the affair might end badly for her. Having failed in + this assault, the Wasp repeats the procedure at other funnels; she will + even return to the first when the alarm is somewhat assuaged. Still + hopping and fluttering, she prowls around the mouth, whence the Segestria + watches her, with her legs outspread. She waits for the propitious moment; + she leaps forward, seizes a leg, tugs at it and springs out of reach. More + often than not, the Spider holds fast; sometimes she is dragged out of the + tube, to a distance of a few inches, but immediately returns, no doubt + with the aid of her unbroken lifeline. + </p> + <p> + The Pompilus' intention is plain: she wants to eject the Spider from her + fortress and fling her some distance away. So much perseverance leads to + success. This time all goes well: with a vigorous and well-timed tug the + Wasp has pulled the Segestria out and at once lets her drop to the ground. + Bewildered by her fall and even more demoralized by being wrested from her + ambush, the Spider is no longer the bold adversary that she was. She draws + her legs together and cowers into a depression in the soil. The huntress + is there on the instant to operate on the evicted animal. I have barely + time to draw near to watch the tragedy when the victim is paralysed by a + thrust of the sting in the thorax. + </p> + <p> + Here at last, in all its Machiavellian cunning, is the shrewd method of + the Pompilus. She would be risking her life if she attacked the Segestria + in her home; the Wasp is so convinced of it that she takes good care not + to commit this imprudence; but she knows also that, once dislodged from + her dwelling, the Spider is as timid, as cowardly as she was bold at the + centre of her funnel. The whole point of her tactics, therefore, lies in + dislodging the creature. This done, the rest is nothing. + </p> + <p> + The Tarantula-huntress must behave in the same manner. Enlightened by her + kinswoman, Pompilus apicalis, my mind pictures her wandering stealthily + around the Lycosa's rampart. The Lycosa hurries up from the bottom of her + burrow, believing that a victim is approaching; she ascends her vertical + tube, spreading her fore-legs outside, ready to leap. But it is the Ringed + Pompilus who leaps, seizes a leg, tugs and hurls the Lycosa from her + burrow. The Spider is henceforth a craven victim, who will let herself be + stabbed without dreaming of employing her venomous fangs. Here craft + triumphs over strength; and this craft is not inferior to mine, when, + wishing to capture the Tarantula, I make her bite a spike of grass which I + dip into the burrow, lead her gently to the surface and then with a sudden + jerk throw her outside. For the entomologist as for the Pompilus, the + essential thing is to make the Spider leave her stronghold. After this + there is no difficulty in catching her, thanks to the utter bewilderment + of the evicted animal. + </p> + <p> + Two contrasting points impress me in the facts which I have just set + forth: the shrewdness of the Pompilus and the folly of the Spider. I will + admit that the Wasp may gradually have acquired, as being highly + beneficial to her posterity, the instinct by which she first of all so + judiciously drags the victim from its refuge, in order there to paralyse + it without incurring danger, provided that you will explain why the + Segestria, possessing an intellect no less gifted than that of the + Pompilus, does not yet know how to counteract the trick of which she has + so long been the victim. What would the Black Spider need to do to escape + her exterminator? Practically nothing: it would be enough for her to + withdraw into her tube, instead of coming up to post herself at the + entrance, like a sentry, whenever the enemy is in the neighbourhood. It is + very brave of her, I agree, but also very risky. The Pompilus will pounce + upon one of the legs spread outside the burrow for defence and attack; and + the besieged Spider will perish, betrayed by her own boldness. This + posture is excellent when waiting for prey. But the Wasp is not a quarry; + she is an enemy and one of the most dreaded of enemies. The Spider knows + this. At the sight of the Wasp, instead of placing herself fearlessly but + foolishly on her threshold, why does she not retreat into her fortress, + where the other would not attack her? The accumulated experience of + generations should have taught her this elementary tactical device, which + is of the greatest value to the prosperity of her race. If the Pompilus + has perfected her method of attack, why has not the Segestria perfected + her method of defence? Is it possible that centuries upon centuries should + have modified the one to its advantage without succeeding in modifying the + other? Here I am utterly at a loss. And I say to myself, in all + simplicity: since the Pompili must have Spiders, the former have possessed + their patient cunning and the other their foolish audacity from all time. + This may be puerile, if you like to think it so, and not in keeping with + the transcendental aims of our fashionable theorists; the argument + contains neither the subjective nor the objective point of view, neither + adaptation nor differentiation, neither atavism nor evolutionism. Very + well, but at least I understand it. + </p> + <p> + Let us return to the habits of Pompilus apicalis. Without expecting + results of any particular interest, for in captivity the respective + talents of the huntress and the quarry seem to slumber, I place together, + in a wide jar, a Wasp and a Segestria. The Spider and her enemy mutually + avoid each other, both being equally timid. A judicious shake or two + brings them into contact. The Segestria, from time to time, catches hold + of the Pompilus, who gathers herself up as best she can, without + attempting to use her sting; the Spider rolls the insect between her legs + and even between her mandibles, but appears to dislike doing it. Once I + see her lie on her back and hold the Pompilus above her, as far away as + possible, while turning her over in her fore-legs and munching at her with + her mandibles. The Wasp, whether by her own adroitness or owing to the + Spider's dread of her, promptly escapes from the terrible fangs, moves to + a short distance and does not seem to trouble unduly about the buffeting + which she has received. She quietly polishes her wings and curls her + antennae by pulling them while standing on them with her fore-tarsi. The + attack of the Segestria, stimulated by my shakes, is repeated ten times + over; and the Pompilus always escapes from the venomous fangs unscathed, + as though she were invulnerable. + </p> + <p> + Is she really invulnerable? By no means, as we shall soon have proved to + us; if she retires safe and sound, it is because the Spider does not use + her fangs. What we see is a sort of truce, a tacit convention forbidding + deadly strokes, or rather the demoralization due to captivity; and the two + adversaries are no longer in a sufficiently warlike mood to make play with + their daggers. The tranquillity of the Pompilus, who keeps on jauntily + curling her antennae in face of the Segestria, reassures me as to my + prisoner's fate; for greater security, however, I throw her a scrap of + paper, in the folds of which she will find a refuge during the night. She + instals herself there, out of the Spider's reach. Next morning I find her + dead. During the night the Segestria, whose habits are nocturnal, has + recovered her daring and stabbed her enemy. I had my suspicions that the + parts played might be reversed! The butcher of yesterday is the victim of + to-day. + </p> + <p> + I replace the Pompilus by a Hive-bee. The interview is not protracted. Two + hours later, the Bee is dead, bitten by the Spider. A Drone-fly suffers + the same fate. The Segestria, however, does not touch either of the two + corpses, any more than she touched the corpse of the Pompilus. In these + murders the captive seems to have no other object than to rid herself of a + turbulent neighbour. When appetite awakes, perhaps the victims will be + turned to account. They were not; and the fault was mine. I placed in the + jar a Bumble-bee of average size. A day later the Spider was dead; the + rude sharer of her captivity had done the deed. + </p> + <p> + Let us say no more of these unequal duels in the glass prison and complete + the story of the Pompilus whom we left at the foot of the wall with the + paralysed Segestria. She abandons her prey on the ground and returns to + the wall. She visits the Spider's funnels one by one, walking on them as + freely as on the stones; she inspects the silken tubes, dipping her + antennae into them, sounding and exploring them; she enters without the + least hesitation. Whence does she now derive the temerity thus to enter + the Segestria's haunts? But a little while ago, she was displaying extreme + caution; at this moment, she seems heedless of danger. The fact is that + there is no danger really. The Wasp is inspecting uninhabited houses. When + she dives down a silken tunnel, she very well knows that there is no one + in, for, had the Segestria been there, she would by this time have + appeared on the threshold. The fact that the householder does not show + herself at the first vibration of the neighbouring threads is a certain + proof that the tube is vacant; and the Pompilus enters in full security. I + would recommend future observers not to take the present investigations + for hunting-tactics. I have already remarked and I repeat: the Pompilus + never enters the silken ambush while the Spider is there. + </p> + <p> + Among the funnels inspected one appears to suit her better than the + others; she returns to it frequently in the course of her investigations, + which last for nearly an hour. From time to time she hastens back to the + Spider lying on the ground; she examines her, tugs at her, drags her a + little closer to the wall, then leaves her the better to reconnoitre the + tunnel which is the object of her preference. Lastly she returns to the + Segestria and takes her by the tip of the abdomen. The quarry is so heavy + that she has great difficulty in moving it along the level ground. Two + inches divide it from the wall. She gets to the wall, not without effort; + nevertheless, once the wall is reached, the job is quickly done. We learn + that Antaeus, the son of Mother Earth, in his struggle with Hercules, + received new strength as often as his feet touched the ground; the + Pompilus, the daughter of the wall, seems to increase her powers tenfold + once she has set foot on the masonry. + </p> + <p> + For here is the Wasp hoisting her prey backwards, her enormous prey, which + dangles beneath her. She climbs now a vertical plane, now a slope, + according to the uneven surface of the stones. She crosses gaps where she + has to go belly uppermost, while the quarry swings to and fro in the air. + Nothing stops her; she keeps on climbing, to a height of six feet or more, + without selecting her path, without seeing her goal, since she goes + backwards. A lodge appears no doubt reconnoitred beforehand and reached, + despite the difficulties of an ascent which did not allow her to see it. + The Pompilus lays her prey on it. The silken tube which she inspected so + lovingly is only some eight inches distant. She goes to it, examines it + rapidly and returns to the Spider, whom she at length lowers down the + tube. + </p> + <p> + Shortly afterwards I see her come out again. She searches here and there + on the wall for a few scraps of mortar, two or three fairly large pieces, + which she carries to the tube, to close it up. The task is done. She flies + away. + </p> + <p> + Next day I inspect this strange burrow. The Spider is at the bottom of the + silken tube, isolated on every side, as though in a hammock. The Wasp's + egg is glued not to the ventral surface of the victim but to the back, + about the middle, near the beginning of the abdomen. It is white, + cylindrical and about a twelfth of an inch long. The few bits of mortar + which I saw carried have but very roughly blocked the silken chamber at + the end. Thus Pompilus apicalis lays her quarry and her eggs not in a + burrow of her own making, but in the Spider's actual house. Perhaps the + silken tube belongs to this very victim, which in that event provides both + board and lodging. What a shelter for the larva of this Pompilus: the warm + retreat and downy hammock of the Segestria! + </p> + <p> + Here then, already, we have two Spider-huntresses, the Ringed Pompilus and + P. apicalis, who, unversed in the miner's craft, establish their offspring + inexpensively in accidental chinks in the walls, or even in the lair of + the Spider on whom the larva feeds. In these cells, acquired without + exertion, they build only an attempt at a wall with a few fragments of + mortar. But we must beware of generalizing about this expeditious method + of establishment. Other Pompili are true diggers, valiantly sinking a + burrow in the soil, to a depth of a couple of inches. These include the + Eight-spotted Pompilus (P. octopunctatus, PANZ.), with her + black-and-yellow livery and her amber wings, a little darker at the tips. + For her game she chooses the Epeirae (E. fasciata, E. sericea) (For the + Garden-spiders known as the Banded Epeira and the Silky Epeira cf. "The + Life of the Spider": chapters 11, 13, 14 et passim.—Translator's + Note.), those fat Spiders, magnificently adorned, who lie in wait at the + centre of their large, vertical webs. I am not sufficiently acquainted + with her habits to describe them; above all, I know nothing of her + hunting-tactics. But her dwelling is familiar to me: it is a burrow, which + I have seen her begin, complete and close according to the customary + method of the Digger-wasps. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 2. THE SCOLIAE. + </h2> + <p> + Were strength to take precedence over the other zoological attributes, the + Scoliae would hold a predominant place in the front rank of the Wasps. + Some of them may be compared in size with the little bird from the north, + the Golden-crested Wren, who comes to us at the time of the first autumn + mists and visits the rotten buds. The largest and most imposing of our + sting-bearers, the Carpenter-bee, the Bumble-bee, the Hornet, cut a poor + figure beside certain of the Scoliae. Of this group of giants my district + possesses the Garden Scolia (S. hortorum, VAN DER LIND), who is over an + inch and a half in length and measures four inches from tip to tip of her + outspread wings, and the Hemorrhoidal Scolia (S. haemorrhoidalis, VAN DER + LIND), who rivals the Garden Scolia in point of size and is distinguished + more particularly by the bundle of red hairs bristling at the tip of the + abdomen. + </p> + <p> + A black livery, with broad yellow patches; leathery wings, amber-coloured, + like the skin of an onion, and watered with purple reflections; thick, + knotted legs, covered with sharp hairs; a massive frame; a powerful head, + encased in a hard cranium; a stiff, clumsy gait; a low, short, silent + flight: this gives you a concise description of the female, who is + strongly equipped for her arduous task. The male, being a mere + philanderer, sports a more elegant pair of horns, is more daintily clad + and has a more graceful figure, without altogether losing the quality of + robustness which is his consort's leading characteristic. + </p> + <p> + It is not without a certain alarm that the insect-collector finds himself + for the first time confronted by the Garden Scolia. How is he to capture + the imposing creature, how to avoid its sting? If its effect is in + proportion to the Wasp's size, the sting of the Scolia must be something + terrible. The Hornet, though she unsheath her weapon but once, causes the + most exquisite pain. What would it be like if one were stabbed by this + colossus? The prospect of a swelling as big as a man's fist and as painful + as the touch of a red-hot iron passes through our mind at the moment when + we are bringing down the net. And we refrain, we beat a retreat, we are + greatly relieved not to have aroused the dangerous creature's attention. + </p> + <p> + Yes, I confess to having run away from my first Scoliae, anxious though I + was to enrich my budding collection with this magnificent insect. There + were painful recollections of the Common Wasp and the Hornet connected + with this excess of prudence. I say excess, for to-day, instructed by long + experience, I have quite recovered from my former fears; and, when I see a + Scolia resting on a thistle-head, I do not scruple to take her in my + fingers, without any precaution whatever, however large she may be and + however menacing her aspect. My courage is not all that it seems to be; I + am quite ready to tell the Wasp-hunting novice this. The Scoliae are + notably peaceable. Their sting is an implement of labour far more than a + weapon of war; they use it to paralyse the prey destined for their + offspring; and only in the last extremity do they employ it in + self-defence. Moreover, the lack of agility in their movements nearly + always enables us to avoid their sting; and, even if we be stung, the pain + is almost insignificant. This absence of any acute smarting as a result of + the poison is almost constant in the Hunting Wasps, whose weapon is a + surgical lancet and devised for the most delicate physiological + operations. + </p> + <p> + Among the other Scoliae of my district I will mention the Two-banded + Scolia (S. bifasciata, VAN DER LIND), whom I see every year, in September, + working at the heaps of leaf-mould which are placed for her benefit in a + corner of my paddock; and the Interrupted Scolia (S. interrupta, LATR.), + the inhabitant of the sandy soil at the foot of the neighbouring hills. + Much smaller than the two preceding insects, but also much commoner, a + necessary condition of continuous observation, they will provide me with + the principal data for this study of the Scoliae. + </p> + <p> + I open my old note book; and I see myself once more, on the 6th of August, + 1857, in the Bois des Issards, that famous copse near Avignon which I have + celebrated in my essay on the Bembex-wasps. (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": + chapter 14.—Translator's Note.) Once again, my head crammed with + entomological projects, I am at the beginning of my holidays which, for + two months, will allow me to indulge in the insect's company. + </p> + <p> + A fig for Mariotte's flask and Toricelli's tube! (Edme Mariotte + (1620-1684), a French chemist who discovered, independently of Robert + Boyle the Irishman (1627-1691), the law generally known as Boyle's law, + which states that the product of the volume and the temperature of a gas + is constant at constant temperature. His flask is an apparatus contrived + to illustrate atmospheric pressure and ensure a constant flow of liquid.—Translator's + Note.) (Evangelista Toricelli (1608-1647), a disciple of Galileo and + professor of philosophy and mathematics at Florence. His "tube" is our + mercury barometer. He was the first to obtain a vacuum by means of + mercury; and he also improved the microscope and the telescope.—Translator's + Note.) This is the thrice-blest period when I cease to be a schoolmaster + and become a schoolboy, the schoolboy in love with animals. Like a + madder-cutter off for his day's work, I set out carrying over my shoulder + a solid digging-implement, the local luchet, and on my back my game-bag + with boxes, bottles, trowel, glass tubes, tweezers, lenses and other + impedimenta. A large umbrella saves me from sunstroke. It is the most + scorching hour of the hottest day in the year. Exhausted by the heat, the + Cicadae are silent. The bronze-eyed Gad-flies seek a refuge from the + pitiless sun under the roof of my silken shelter; other large Flies, the + sobre-hued Pangoniae, dash themselves recklessly against my face. + </p> + <p> + The spot at which I have installed myself is a sandy clearing which I had + recognized the year before as a site beloved of the Scoliae. Here and + there are scattered thickets of holm-oak, whose dense undergrowth shelters + a bed of dead leaves and a thin layer of mould. My memory has served me + well. Here, sure enough, as the heat grows a little less, appear, coming I + know not from whence, some Two-banded Scoliae. The number increases; and + it is not long before I see very nearly a dozen of them about me, close + enough for observation. By their smaller size and more buoyant flight, + they are easily known for males. Almost grazing the ground, they fly + softly, going to and fro, passing and repassing in every direction. From + time to time one of them alights on the ground, feels the sand with his + antennae and seems to be enquiring into what is happening in the depths of + the soil; then he resumes his flight, alternately coming and going. + </p> + <p> + What are they waiting for? What are they seeking in these evolutions of + theirs, which are repeated a hundred times over? Food? No, for close + beside them stand several eryngo-stems, whose sturdy clusters are the + Wasps' usual resource at this season of parched vegetation; and not one of + them settles upon the flowers, not one of them seems to care about their + sugary exudations. Their attention is engrossed elsewhere. It is the + ground, it is the stretch of sand which they are so assiduously exploring; + what they are waiting for is the arrival of some female, who bursting the + cocoon, may appear from one moment to the next, issuing all dusty from the + ground. She will not be given time to brush herself or to wash her eyes: + three or four more of them will be there at once, eager to dispute her + possession. I am too familiar with the amorous contests of the + Hymenopteron clan to allow myself to be mistaken. It is the rule for the + males, who are the earlier of the two, to keep a close guard around the + natal spot and watch for the emergence of the females, whom they pester + with their pursuit the moment they reach the light of day. This is the + motive of the interminable ballet of my Scoliae. Let us have patience: + perhaps we shall witness the nuptials. + </p> + <p> + The hours go by; the Pangoniae and the Gad-flies desert my umbrella; the + Scoliae grow weary and gradually disappear. It is finished. I shall see + nothing more to-day. I repeat my laborious expedition to the Bois des + Issards over and over again; and each time I see the males as assiduous as + ever in skimming over the ground. My perseverance deserved to succeed. It + did, though the success was very incomplete. Let me describe it, such as + it was; the future will fill up the gaps. + </p> + <p> + A female issues from the soil before my eyes. She flies away, followed by + several males. With the luchet I dig at the point of emergence; and, as + the excavation progresses, I sift between my fingers the rubbish of sand + mixed with mould. In the sweat of my brow, as I may justly say, I must + have removed nearly a cubic yard of material, when at last I make a find. + This is a recently ruptured cocoon, to the side of which adheres an empty + skin, the last remnant of the game on which the larva fed that wrought the + said cocoon. Considering the good condition of its silken fabric, this + cocoon may have belonged to the Scolia who has just quitted her + underground dwelling before my eyes. As for the skin accompanying it, this + has been so much spoilt by the moisture of the soil and by the grassy + roots that I cannot determine its origin exactly. The cranium, however, + which is better-preserved, the mandibles and certain details of the + general configuration lead me to suspect the larva of a Lamellicorn. + </p> + <p> + It is getting late. This is enough for to-day. I am worn out, but amply + repaid for my exertions by a broken cocoon and the puzzling skin of a + wretched grub. Young people who make a hobby of natural history, would you + like to discover whether the sacred fire flows in your veins? Imagine + yourselves returning from such an expedition. You are carrying on your + shoulder the peasant's heavy spade; your loins are stiff with the + laborious digging which you have just finished in a crouching position; + the heat of an August afternoon has set your brain simmering; your eyelids + are tired by the itch of an inflammation resulting from the overpowering + light in which you have been working; you have a devouring thirst; and + before you lies the dusty prospect of the miles that divide you from your + well-earned rest. Yet something stings within you; forgetful of your + present woes you are absolutely glad of your excursion. Why? Because you + have in your possession a shred of rotten skin. If this is so, my young + friends, you may go ahead, for you will do something, though I warn you + that this does not mean, by a long way, that you will get on in the world. + </p> + <p> + I examined this shred of skin with all the care that it deserved. My first + suspicions were confirmed: a Lamellicorn, a Scarabaeid in the larval + state, is the first food of the Wasp whose cocoon I have just unearthed. + But which of the Scarabaeidae? And does this cocoon, my precious booty, + really belong to the Scoliae? The problem is beginning to take shape. To + attempt its solution we must go back to the Bois des Issards. + </p> + <p> + I did go back and so often that my patience ended by being exhausted + before the problem of the Scoliae had received a satisfactory solution. + The difficulties are great indeed, under the conditions. Where am I to dig + in the indefinite stretch of sandy soil to light upon a spot frequented by + the Scoliae? The luchet is driven into the ground at random; and almost + invariably I find none of what I am seeking. To be sure, the males, flying + level with the ground, give me a hint, at the outset, with their certainty + of instinct, as to the spots where the females ought to be; but their + hints are very vague, because they go so far in every direction. If I + wished to examine the soil which a single male explores in his flight, + with its constantly changing course, I should have to turn over, to the + depth of perhaps a yard, at least four poles of earth. This is too much + for my strength and the time at my disposal. Then, as the season advances, + the males disappear, whereupon I am suddenly deprived of their hints. To + know more or less where I should thrust my luchet, I have only one + resource left, which is to watch for the females emerging from the ground + or else entering it. With a great expenditure of time and patience I have + at last had this windfall, very rarely, I admit. + </p> + <p> + The Scoliae do not dig a burrow which can be compared with that of the + other Hunting Wasps; they have no fixed residence, with an unimpeded + gallery opening on the outer world and giving access to the cells, the + abodes of the larvae. They have no entrance- and exit-doors, no corridor + built in advance. If they have to make their way underground, any point + not hitherto turned over serves their purpose, provided that it be not too + hard for their digging-tools, which, for that matter, are very powerful; + if they have to come out, the point of exit is no less indifferent. The + Scolia does not bore the soil through which she passes: she excavates and + ploughs it with her legs and forehead; and the stuff shifted remains where + it lies, behind her, forthwith blocking the passage which she has + followed. When she is about to emerge into the outer world, her advent is + heralded by the fresh soil which heaps itself into a mound as though + heaved up by the snout of some tiny Mole. The insect sallies forth; and + the mound collapses, completely filling up the exit-hole. If the Wasp is + entering the ground, the digging-operations, undertaken at an arbitrary + point, quickly yield a cavity in which the Scolia disappears, separated + from the surface by the whole track of shifted material. + </p> + <p> + I can easily trace her passage through the thickness of the soil by + certain long, winding cylinders, formed of loose materials in the midst of + compact and stable earth. These cylinders are numerous; they sometimes run + to a depth of twenty inches; they extend in all directions, fairly often + crossing one another. Not one of them ever exhibits so much as a suspicion + of an open gallery. They are obviously not permanent ways of communication + with the outer world, but hunting-trails which the insect has followed + once, without going back to them. What was the Wasp seeking when she + riddled the soil with these tunnels which are now full of running sands? + No doubt the food for her family, the larva of which I possess the empty + skin, now an unrecognizable shred. + </p> + <p> + I begin to see a little light: the Scoliae are underground workers. I + already expected as much, having before now captured Scoliae soiled with + little earthy encrustations on the joints of the legs. The Wasp, who is so + careful to keep clean, taking advantage of the least leisure to brush and + polish herself, could never display such blemishes unless she were a + devoted earth-worker. I used to suspect their trade, now I know it. They + live underground, where they burrow in search of Lamellicorn-grubs, just + as the Mole burrows in search of the White Worm. (The larva of the + Cockchafer. This grub takes three years or more to arrive at maturity + underground.—Translator's Note.) It is even possible that, after + receiving the embraces of the males, they but very rarely return to the + surface, absorbed as they are by their maternal duties; and this, no + doubt, is why my patience becomes exhausted in watching for their entrance + and their emergence. + </p> + <p> + It is in the subsoil that they establish themselves and travel to and fro; + with the help of their powerful mandibles, their hard cranium, their + strong, prickly legs, they easily make themselves paths in the loose + earth. They are living ploughshares. By the end of August, therefore, the + female population is for the most part underground, busily occupied in + egg-laying and provisioning. Everything seems to tell me that I should + watch in vain for the appearance of a few females in the broad daylight; I + must resign myself to excavating at random. + </p> + <p> + The result was hardly commensurate with the labour which I expended on + digging. I found a few cocoons, nearly all broken, like the one which I + already possessed, and, like it, bearing on their side the tattered skin + of a larva of the same Scarabaeid. Two of these cocoons which are still + intact contained a dead adult Wasp. This was actually the Two-banded + Scolia, a precious discovery which changed my suspicions into a certainty. + </p> + <p> + I also unearthed some cocoons, slightly different in appearance, + containing an adult inmate, likewise dead, in whom I recognized the + Interrupted Scolia. The remnants of the provisions again consisted of the + empty skin of a larva, also a Lamellicorn, but not the same as the one + hunted by the first Scolia. And this was all. Now here, now there, I + shifted a few cubic yards of soil, without managing to find fresh + provisions with the egg or the young larva. And yet it was the right + season, the egg-laying season, for the males, numerous at the outset, had + grown rarer day by day until they disappeared entirely. My lack of success + was due to the uncertainty of my excavations, in which I had nothing to + guide me over the indefinite area covered. + </p> + <p> + If I could at least identify the Scarabaeidae whose larvae form the prey + of the two Scoliae, the problem would be half solved. Let us try. I + collect all that the luchet has turned up: larvae, nymphs and adult + Beetles. My booty comprises two species of Lamellicorns: Anoxia villosa + and Euchlora Julii, both of whom I find in the perfect state, usually + dead, but sometimes alive. I obtain a few of their nymphs, a great piece + of luck, for the larval skin which accompanies them will serve me as a + standard of comparison. I come upon plenty of larvae, of all ages. When I + compare them with the cast garment abandoned by the nymphs, I recognize + some as belonging to the Anoxia and the rest to the Euchlora. + </p> + <p> + With these data, I perceive with absolute certainty that the empty skin + adhering to the cocoon of the Interrupted Scolia belongs to the Anoxia. As + for the Euchlora, she is not involved in the problem: the larva hunted by + the Two-banded Scolia does not belong to her any more than it belongs to + the Anoxia. Then with which Scarabaeid does the empty skin which is still + unknown to me correspond? The Lamellicorn whom I am seeking must exist in + the ground which I have been exploring, because the Two-banded Scolia has + established herself there. Later—oh, very long afterwards!—I + recognized where my search was at fault. In order not to find a network of + roots beneath my luchet and to render the work of excavation lighter, I + was digging the bare places, at some distance from the thickets of + holm-oak; and it was just in those thickets, which are rich in vegetable + mould, that I should have sought. There, near the old stumps, in the soil + consisting of dead leaves and rotting wood, I should certainly have come + upon the larva so greatly desired, as will be proved by what I have still + to say. + </p> + <p> + Here ends what my earlier investigations taught me. There is reason to + believe that the Bois des Issards would never have furnished me with the + precise data, in the form in which I wanted them. The remoteness of the + spot, the fatigue of the expeditions, which the heat rendered intensely + exhausting, the impossibility of knowing which points to attack would + undoubtedly have discouraged me before the problem had advanced a step + farther. Studies such as these call for home leisure and application, for + residence in a country village. You are then familiar with every spot in + your own grounds and the surrounding country and you can go to work with + certainty. + </p> + <p> + Twenty-three years have passed; and here I am at Serignan, where I have + become a peasant, working by turns on my writing-pad and my cabbage-patch. + On the 14th of August, 1880, Favier (An ex-soldier who acted as the + author's gardener and factotum.—Translator's Note.) clears away a + heap of mould consisting of vegetable refuse and of leaves stacked in a + corner against the wall of the paddock. This clearance is considered + necessary because Bull, when the lovers' moon arrives, uses this hillock + to climb to the top of the wall and thence to repair to the canine wedding + the news of which is brought to him by the effluvia borne upon the air. + His pilgrimage fulfilled, he returns, with a discomfited look and a slit + ear, but always ready, once he has had his feed, to repeat the escapade. + To put an end to this licentious behaviour, which has cost him so many + gaping wounds, we decided to remove the heap of soil which serves him as a + ladder of escape. + </p> + <p> + Favier calls me while in the midst of his labours with the spade and + barrow: + </p> + <p> + "Here's a find, sir, a great find! Come and look." + </p> + <p> + I hasten to the spot. The find is a magnificent one indeed and of a nature + to fill me with delight, awakening all my old recollections of the Bois + des Issards. Any number of females of the Two-banded Scolia, disturbed at + their work, are emerging here and there from the depth of the soil. The + cocoons also are plentiful, each lying next to the skin of the victim on + which the larva has fed. They are all open but still fresh: they date from + the present generation; the Scoliae whom I unearth have quitted them not + long since. I learnt later, in fact, that the hatching took place in the + course of July. + </p> + <p> + In the same heap of mould is a swarming colony of Scarabaeidae in the form + of larvae, nymphs and adult insects. It includes the largest of our + Beetles, the common Rhinoceros Beetle, or Oryctes nasicornis. I find some + who have been recently liberated, whose wing-cases, of a glossy brown, now + see the sunlight for the first time; I find others enclosed in their + earthen shell, almost as big as a Turkey's egg. More frequent is her + powerful larva, with its heavy paunch, bent into a hook. I note the + presence of a second bearer of the nasal horn, Oryctes Silenus, who is + much smaller than her kinswoman, and of Pentodon punctatus, a Scarabaeid + who ravages my lettuces. + </p> + <p> + But the predominant population consists of Cetoniae, or Rosechafers, most + of them enclosed in their egg-shaped shells, with earthen walls encrusted + with dung. There are three different species: C. aurata, C. morio and C. + floricola. Most of them belong to the first species. Their larvae, which + are easily recognized by their singular talent for walking on their backs + with their legs in the air, are numbered by the hundred. Every age is + represented, from the new born grub to the podgy larva on the point of + building its shell. + </p> + <p> + This time the problem of the victuals is solved. When I compare the larval + slough sticking to the Scolia's cocoons with the Cetonia-larvae or, + better, with the skin cast by these larvae, under cover of the cocoon, at + the moment of the nymphal transformation, I establish an absolute + identity. The Two-banded Scolia rations each of her eggs with a + Cetonia-grub. Behold the riddle which my irksome searches in the Bois des + Issards had not enabled me to solve. To-day, at my threshold, the + difficult problem becomes child's play. I can investigate the question + easily to the fullest possible extent; I need not put myself out at all; + at any hour of the day, at any period that seems favourable, I have the + requisite elements before my eyes. Ah, dear village, so poor, so + countrified, how happily inspired was I when I came to ask of you a + hermit's retreat, where I could live in the company of my beloved insects + and, in so doing, set down not too unworthily a few chapters of their + wonderful history! + </p> + <p> + According to the Italian observer Passerini, the Garden Scolia feeds her + family on the larvae of Oryctes nasicornis, in the heaps of old tan-waste + removed from the hot-houses. I do not despair of seeing this colossal Wasp + coming to establish herself one day in my heaps of leaf-mould, in which + the same Scarabaeid is swarming. Her rarity in my part of the country is + probably the only cause that has hitherto prevented the realization of my + wishes. + </p> + <p> + I have just shown that the Two-banded Scolia feeds in infancy on + Cetonia-larvae and particularly on those of C. aurata, C. morio and C. + floricola. These three species dwell together in the rubbish-heap just + explored; their larvae differ so little that I should have to examine them + minutely to distinguish the one from the other; and even then I should not + be certain of succeeding. It seems probable that the Scolia does not + choose between them, that she uses all three indiscriminately. Perhaps she + even assails other larvae, inhabitants, like the foregoing, of heaps of + rotting vegetable-matter. I therefore set down the Cetonia genus generally + as forming the prey of the Two-banded Scolia. + </p> + <p> + Lastly, round about Avignon, the Interrupted Scolia used to prey upon the + larva of the Shaggy Anoxia (A. villosa). At Serignan, which is surrounded + by the same kind of sandy soil, without other vegetation than a few sparse + seed-bearing grasses, I find her rationing her young with the Morning + Anoxia (A. matutinalis). Oryctes, Cetoniae and Anoxiae in the larval + state: here then is the prey of the three Scoliae whose habits we know. + The three Beetles are Lamellicorns, Scarabaeidae. We shall have occasion + later to consider the reason of this very striking coincidence. + </p> + <p> + For the moment, the business in hand is to move the heap of leaf-mould to + some other place, with the wheelbarrow. This is Favier's work, while I + myself collect the disturbed population in glass jars, in order to put + them back into the new rubbish-heap with all the consideration which my + plans owe to them. The laying-time has not yet set in, for I find no eggs, + no young Scolia-larvae. September apparently will be the propitious month. + But there are bound to be many injured in the course of this upheaval; + some of the Scoliae have flown away who will perhaps have a certain + difficulty in finding the new site; I have disarranged everything in the + overturned heap. To allow tranquility to be restored and habit to resume + its rounds, to give the population time to increase and replace the + fugitives and the injured, it would be best, I think, to leave the heap + alone this year and not to resume my investigations until the next. After + the thorough confusion due to the removal, I should jeopardize success by + being too precipitate. Let us wait one year more. I decide accordingly, + curb my impatience and resign myself. We will simply confine ourselves to + enlarging the heap, when the leaves begin to fall, by accumulating the + refuse that strews the paddock, so that we may have a richer field of + operations. + </p> + <p> + In the following August, my visits to the mound of leaf-mould become a + daily habit. By two o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun has cleared the + adjacent pine-trees and is shining on the heap, numbers of male Scoliae + arrive from the neighbouring fields, where they have been slaking their + thirst on the eryngo-heads. Incessantly coming and going with an indolent + flight, they circle round the heap. If some female rise from the soil, + those who have seen her dart forward. A not very turbulent affray decides + which of the suitors shall be the possessor; and the couple fly away over + the wall. This is a repetition of what I used to see in the Bois des + Issards. By the time that August is over. The males have ceased to show + themselves. The mothers do not appear either: they are busy underground, + establishing their families. + </p> + <p> + On the 2nd of September, I decide upon a search with my son Emile, who + handles the fork and the shovel, while I examine the clods dug up. + Victory! A magnificent result, finer than any that my fondest ambition + would have dared to contemplate! Here is a vast array of Cetonia-larvae, + all flaccid, motionless, lying on their backs, with a Scolia's egg + sticking to the centre of their abdomen; here are young Scolia-larvae + dipping their heads into the entrails of their victims; here are others + farther advanced, munching their last mouthfuls of a prey which is drained + dry and reduced to a skin; here are some laying the foundation of their + cocoons with a reddish silk, which looks as if it had been dyed in + Bullock's blood; here are some whose cocoons are finished. There is plenty + of everything, from the egg to the larva whose period of activity is over. + I mark the 2nd of September as a red-letter day; it has given me the final + key to a riddle which has kept me in suspense for nearly half a century. + </p> + <p> + I place my spoils religiously in shallow, wide-mouthed glass jars + containing a layer of finely sifted mould. In this soft bed, which is + identical in character with the natal surroundings, I make some faint + impressions with my fingers, so many cavities, each of which receives one + of my subjects, one only. A pane of glass covers the mouth of the + receptacle. In this way I prevent a too rapid evaporation and keep my + nurselings under my eyes without fear of disturbing them. Now that all + this is in order, let us proceed to record events. + </p> + <p> + The Cetonia-larvae which I find with a Scolia's egg upon their ventral + surface are distributed in the mould at random, without special cavities, + without any sign of some sort of structure. They are smothered in the + mould, just as are the larvae which have not been injured by the Wasp. As + my excavations in the Bois des Issards told me, the Scolia does not + prepare a lodging for her family; she knows nothing of the art of + cell-building. Her offspring occupies a fortuitous abode, on which the + mother expends no architectural pains. Whereas the other Hunting Wasps + prepare a dwelling to which the provisions are carried, sometimes from a + distance, the Scolia confines herself to digging her bed of leaf-mould + until she comes upon a Cetonia-larva. When she finds a quarry, she stabs + it on the spot, in order to immobilize it; and, again on the spot, she + lays an egg on the ventral surface of the paralysed creature. That is all. + The mother goes in quest of another prey without troubling further about + the egg which has just been laid. There is no effort of carting or + building. At the very spot where the Cetonia-grub is caught and paralysed, + the Scolia-larva hatches, grows and weaves its cocoon. The establishment + of the family is thus reduced to the simplest possible expression. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 3. A DANGEROUS DIET. + </h2> + <p> + The Scolia's egg is in no way exceptional in shape. It is white, + cylindrical, straight and about four millimetres long by one millimetre + thick. (About.156 x.039 inch.—Translator's Note.) It is fixed, by + its fore-end, upon the median line of the victim's abdomen, well to the + rear of the legs, near the beginning of the brown patch formed by the mass + of food under the skin. + </p> + <p> + I watch the hatching. The grub, still wearing upon its hinder parts the + delicate pellicle which it has just shed, is fixed to the spot to which + the egg itself adhered by its cephalic extremity. A striking spectacle, + that of the feeble creature, only this moment hatched, boring, for its + first mouthful, into the paunch of its enormous prey, which lies stretched + upon its back. The nascent tooth takes a day over the difficult task. Next + morning the skin has yielded; and I find the new-born larva with its head + plunged into a small, round, bleeding wound. + </p> + <p> + In size the grub is the same as the egg, whose dimensions I have just + given. Now the Cetonia-larva, to meet the Scolia's requirements, averages + thirty millimetres in length by nine in thickness (1.17 x.35 inch.—Translator's + Note.), whence follows that its bulk is six or seven hundred times as + great as that of the newly-hatched grub of the Scolia. Here certainly is a + quarry which, were it active and capable of wriggling and biting, would + expose the nurseling to terrible attacks. The danger has been averted by + the mother's stiletto; and the fragile grub attacks the monster's paunch + with as little hesitation as though it were sucking the breast. + </p> + <p> + Day by day the young Scolia's head penetrates farther into the Cetonia's + belly. To pass through the narrow orifice made in the skin, the fore-part + of the body contracts and lengthens out, as though drawn through a + die-plate. The larva thus assumes a rather strange form. Its hinder half, + which is constantly outside the victim's belly, has the shape and fulness + usual in the larvae of the Digger-wasps, whereas the front half, which, + once it has dived under the skin of the exploited victim, does not come + out again until the time arrives for spinning the cocoon, tapers off + suddenly into a snake-like neck. This front part is moulded, so to speak, + by the narrow entrance-hole made in the skin and henceforth retains its + slender formation. As a matter of fact, a similar configuration recurs, in + varying degrees, in the larvae of the Digger-wasps whose ration consists + of a bulky quarry which takes a long time to consume. These include the + Languedocian Sphex, with her Ephippiger, and the Hairy Ammophila, with her + Grey Worm. There is none of this sudden constriction, dividing the + creature into two disparate halves, when the victuals consist of numerous + and comparatively small items. The larva then retains its usual shape, + being obliged to pass, at brief intervals, from one joint in its larder to + the next. + </p> + <p> + From the first bite of the mandibles, until the whole head of game is + consumed, the Scolia-larva is never seen to withdraw its head and its long + neck from inside the creature which it is devouring. I suspect the reason + of this persistence in attacking a single point; I even seem to perceive + the need for a special art in the manner of eating. The Cetonia-larva is a + square meal in itself, one large dish, which has to retain a suitable + freshness until the end. The young Scolia, therefore, must attack with + discretion, at the unvarying point chosen by the mother on the ventral + surface, for the entrance-hole is at the exact point where the egg was + fixed. As the nurseling's neck lengthens and dives deeper, the victim's + entrails are nibbled gradually and methodically: first, the least + essential; next, those whose removal leaves yet a remnant of life; lastly, + those whose loss inevitably entails death, followed very soon by + putrefaction. + </p> + <p> + At the first bites we see the victim's blood oozing through the wound. It + is a highly-elaborated fluid, easy of digestion, and forms a sort of + milk-diet for the new-born grub. The little ogre's teat is the bleeding + paunch of the Cetonia-larva. The latter will not die of the wound, at + least not for some time. The next thing to be tackled is the fatty + substance which wraps the internal organs in its delicate folds. This + again is a loss which the Cetonia can suffer without dying then and there. + Now comes the turn of the muscular layer which lines the skin; now, that + of the essential organs; now, that of the nerve-centres and the trachean + network, whereupon the last gleam of light is extinguished and the Cetonia + reduced to a mere bag, empty but intact, save for the entrance-hole made + in the middle of the belly. From now onwards, these remains may rot if + they will: the Scolia, by its methodical fashion of consuming its + victuals, has succeeded in keeping them fresh to the very last; and now + you may see it, replete, shining with health, withdraw its long neck from + the bag of skin and prepare to weave the cocoon in which its development + will be completed. + </p> + <p> + It is possible that I may not be quite accurate as to the precise order in + which the organs are consumed, for it is not easy to perceive what happens + inside the exploited larva's body. The ruling feature in this scientific + method of eating, which proceeds from the parts less to the parts more + necessary to preserve a remnant of life, is none the less obvious. If + direct observation did not already to some degree confirm it, a mere + examination of the half-eaten larva would do so in the most positive + fashion. + </p> + <p> + The Cetonia-larva is at first a plump grub. Drained by the Scolia's tooth, + it gradually becomes limp and wrinkled. In a few days' time it resembles a + shrivelled bit of bacon-fat and then a bag whose two sides have fallen in. + Yet this bit of bacon and this bag have the same characteristic look of + fresh meat as had the grub before it was bitten into. Despite the + persistent nibbling of the Scolia, life continues, holding at bay the + inroads of putrefaction until the mandibles have given their last bites. + Does not this remnant of tenacious vitality in itself show that the organs + of primary importance are the last to be attacked? Does it not prove that + there is a progressive dismemberment passing from the less essential to + the indispensable? + </p> + <p> + Would you like to see what becomes of a Cetonia-larva when the organism is + wounded in its vital centres at the very beginning? The experiment is an + easy one; and I made a point of trying it. A sewing-needle, first softened + and flattened into a blade, then retempered and sharpened, gives me a most + delicate scalpel. With this instrument I make a fine incision, through + which I remove the mass of nerves whose remarkable structure we shall soon + have occasion to study. The thing is done: the wound, which does not look + serious, has left the creature a corpse, a real corpse. I lay my victim on + a bed of moist earth, in a jar with a glass lid; in fact, I establish it + in the same conditions as those of the larvae on which the Scoliae feed. + By the next day, without changing shape, it has turned a repulsive brown; + presently it dissolves into noisome putrescence. On the same bed of earth, + under the same glass cover, in the same moist, warm atmosphere, the larvae + three-quarters eaten by the Scoliae retain, on the contrary, the + appearance of healthy flesh. + </p> + <p> + If a single stroke of my dagger, fashioned from the point of a needle, + results in immediate death and early putrefaction; if the repeated bites + of the Scolia gut the creature's body and reduce it almost to a skin + without completely killing it, the striking contrast between these two + results must be due to the relative importance of the organs injured. I + destroy the nerve-centres and inevitably kill my larva, which is putrid by + the following day; the Scolia attacks the reserves of fat, the blood, the + muscles and does not kill its victim, which will provide it with wholesome + food until the end. But it is clear that, if the Scolia were to set to + work as I did, there would be nothing left, after the first few bites, but + an actual corpse, discharging fluids which would be fatal to it within + twenty-four hours. The mother, it is true, in order to assure the + immobility of her prey, has injected the poison of her sting into the + nerve-centres. Her operation cannot be compared with mine in any respect. + She practises the method of the skilful physiologist who induces + anaesthesia; I go to work like the butcher who chops, cuts and + disembowels. The sting leaves the nerve-centres intact. Deprived of + sensibility by the poison, they have lost the power of provoking muscular + contractions; but who can say that, numbed as they are, they no longer + serve to maintain a faint vitality? The flame is extinguished, but there + is still a glowing speck upon the wick. I, a rough blunderer, do more than + blow out the lamp: I throw away the wick and all is over. The grub would + do the same if it bit straight into the mass of nerves. + </p> + <p> + Everything confirms the fact: the Scolia and the other Hunting Wasps whose + provisions consist of bulky heads of game are gifted with a special art of + eating, an exquisitely delicate art which saves a remnant of life in the + prey devoured, until it is all consumed. When the prey is a small one, + this precaution is superfluous. Consider, for instance, the Bembex-grubs + in the midst of their heap of Flies. The prey seized upon is broached on + the back, the belly, the head, the thorax, indifferently. The larva + munches a given spot, which it leaves to munch a second, passing to a + third and a fourth, at the bidding of its changing whims. It seems to + taste and select, by repeated trials, the mouthfuls most to its liking. + Thus bitton at several points, covered with wounds, the Fly is soon a + shapeless mass which would putrefy very quickly if the meagre dish were + not devoured at a single meal. Allow the Scolia-grub the same unlicensed + gluttony: it would perish beside its corpulent victim, which should have + kept fresh for a fortnight, but which almost from the beginning would be + no more than a filthy putrescence. + </p> + <p> + This art of careful eating does not seem easy to practise: at least, the + larva, if ever so little diverted from its usual courses, is no longer + able to apply its talent as a capable trencherman. This will be proved by + experiment. I must begin by observing that, when I spoke of my larva which + turned putrid within twenty-four hours, I adopted an extreme case for the + sake of greater clearness. The Scolia, taking its first bite, does not and + cannot go to such lengths. Nevertheless it behooves us to enquire whether, + in the consumption of the victuals, the initial point of attack is a + matter of indifference and whether the rummaging through the entrails of + the victim entails a determined order, without which success is uncertain + or even impossible. To these delicate questions no one, I think, can + reply. Where science is silent, perhaps the grub will speak. We will try. + </p> + <p> + I move from its position a Scolia-grub which has attained a quarter or a + third of its full growth. The long neck plunged into the victim's belly is + rather difficult to extract, because of the need of molesting the creature + as little as possible. I succeed, by means of a little patience and + repeated strokes with the tip of a paint-brush. I now turn the + Cetonia-larva over, back uppermost, at the bottom of the little hollow + made by pressing my finger in the layer of mould. Lastly, I place the + Scolia on its victim's back. Here is my grub under the same conditions as + just now, with this difference, that the back and not the belly of its + victim is presented to its mandibles. + </p> + <p> + I watch it for a whole afternoon. It writhes about; it moves its little + head now in this direction, now in that, frequently laying it on the + Cetonia, but without fixing it anywhere. The day draws to a close; and + still it has accomplished nothing. There are restless movements, nothing + more. Hunger, I tell myself, will eventually induce it to bite. I am + wrong. Next morning I find it more anxious than the day before and still + groping about, without resolving to fix its mandibles anywhere. I leave it + alone for half a day longer without obtaining any result. Yet twenty-four + hours of abstinence must have awakened a good appetite, above all in a + creature which, if left undisturbed, would not have ceased eating. + </p> + <p> + Excessive hunger cannot induce it to nibble at an unlawful spot. Is this + due to feebleness of the teeth? By no means: the Cetonia's skin is no + tougher on the back than on the belly; moreover, the grub is capable of + perforating the skin when it leaves the egg; a fortiori, it must be more + capable of doing so now that it has attained a sturdy growth. Thus we see + no lack of ability, but an obstinate refusal to nibble at a point which + ought to be respected. Who knows? On this side perhaps the grub's dorsal + vessel would be wounded, its heart, an organ indispensable to life. The + fact remains that my attempts to make the grub tackle its victim from the + back have failed. Does this mean that it entertains the least suspicion of + the danger which it might incur were it to produce putrefaction by + awkwardly carving its victuals from the back? It would be absurd to give + such an idea a moment's consideration. Its refusal is dictated by a + preordained decree which it is bound to obey. + </p> + <p> + My Scolia-grubs would die of starvation if I left them on their victim's + back. I therefore restore matters as they were, with the Cetonia-larva + belly uppermost and the young Scolia on top. I might utilise the subjects + of my previous experiments; but, as I have to take precautions against the + disturbance which may have been caused by the test already undergone, I + prefer to operate on new patients, a luxury in which the richness of my + menagerie allows me to indulge. I move the Scolia from its position, + extract its head from the entrails of the Cetonia-larva and leave it to + its own resources on its victim's belly. Betraying every symptom of + uneasiness, the grub gropes, hesitates, casts about and does not insert + its mandibles anywhere, though it is now the ventral surface which it is + exploring. It would not display greater hesitation if placed on the back + of the larva. I repeat, who knows? On this side it might perhaps injure + the nervous plexus, which is even more essential than the dorsal vessel. + The inexperienced grub must not drive in its mandibles at random; its + future is jeopardized if it gives a single ill-judged bite. If it gnaws at + the spot where I myself operated with my needle wrought into a scalpel, + its victuals will very soon turn putrid. Once more, then, we witness an + absolute refusal to perforate the skin of the victim elsewhere than at the + very point where the egg was fixed. + </p> + <p> + The mother selects this point, which is undoubtedly that most favourable + to the future prosperity of the larva, though I am not able clearly to + discern the reasons for her choice; she fixes the egg to it; and the place + where the opening is to be made is henceforth determined. It is here that + the grub must bite: only here, never elsewhere. Its invincible refusal to + tackle the Cetonia in any other part, even though it should die of + starvation, shews us how rigorous is the rule of conduct with which its + instinct is inspired. + </p> + <p> + As it gropes about, the grub laid on the victim's ventral surface sooner + or later rediscovers the gaping wound from which I have removed it. If + this takes too long for my patience, I can myself guide its head to the + place with the point of a paint-brush. The grub then recognizes the hole + of its own making, slips its neck into it and little by little dives into + the Cetonia's belly, so that the original state of affairs appears to be + exactly restored. And yet its successful rearing is henceforth highly + problematical. It is possible that the larva will prosper, complete its + development and spin its cocoon; it is also possible—and the case is + not unusual—that the Cetonia-larva will soon turn brown and putrid. + We then see the Scolia itself turn brown, distended as it is with + putrescent foodstuffs, and then cease all movement, without attempting to + withdraw from the sanies. It dies on the spot, poisoned by its excessively + high game. + </p> + <p> + What can be the meaning of this sudden corruption of the victuals, + followed by the death of the Scolia, when everything appeared to have + returned to its normal condition? I see only one explanation. Disturbed in + its activities and diverted from its usual courses by my interference, the + grub, when replaced on the wound from which I extracted it, was unable to + rediscover the lode at which it was working a few minutes earlier; it + thrust its way at random into the victim's entrails; and a few untimely + bites extinguished the last sparks of vitality. Its confusion rendered it + clumsy; and the mistake cost it its life. It dies poisoned by the rich + food which, if consumed according to the rules, should have made it grow + plump and lusty. + </p> + <p> + I was anxious to observe the deadly effects of a disturbed meal in another + fashion. This time the victim itself shall disorder the grub's activities. + The Cetonia-larva, as served up to the young Scolia by its mother, is + profoundly paralysed. Its inertia is complete and so striking that it + constitutes one of the leading features of this narrative. But we will not + anticipate. For the moment, the thing is to substitute for this inert + larva a similar larva, but one not paralysed, one very much alive. To + ensure that it shall not double up and crush the grub, I confine myself to + reducing it to helplessness, leaving it otherwise just as I extracted it + from its burrow. I must also be careful of its legs and mandibles, the + least touch of which would rip open the nurseling. With a few turns of the + finest wire I fix it to a little slab of cork, with its belly in the air. + Next, to provide the grub with a ready-made hole, knowing that it will + refuse to make one for itself, I contrive a slight incision in the skin, + at the point where the Scolia lays her egg. I now place the grub upon the + larva, with its head touching the bleeding wound, and lay the whole on a + bed of mould in a transparent beaker protected by a pane of glass. + </p> + <p> + Unable to move, to wriggle, to scratch with its legs or snap with its + mandibles, the Cetonia-larva, a new Prometheus bound, offers its + defenceless flanks to the little Vulture destined to devour its entrails. + Without too much hesitation, the young Scolia settles down to the wound + made by my scalpel, which to the grub represents the wound whence I have + just removed it. It thrusts its neck into the belly of its prey; and for a + couple of days all seems to go well. Then, lo and behold, the Cetonia + turns putrid and the Scolia dies, poisoned by the ptomaines of the + decomposing game! As before, I see it turn brown and die on the spot, + still half inside the toxic corpse. + </p> + <p> + The fatal issue of my experiment is easily explained. The Cetonia-larva is + alive in every sense. True, I have, by means of bonds, suppressed its + outward movements, in order to provide the nurseling with a quiet meal, + devoid of danger; but it was not in my power to subdue its internal + movements, the quivering of the viscera and muscles irritated by its + forced immobility and by the Scolia's bites. The victim is in possession + of its full power of sensation; and it expresses the pain experienced as + best it may, by contractions. Embarrassed by these tremors, these twitches + of suffering flesh, incommoded at every mouthful, the grub chews away at + random and kills the larva almost as soon as it has started on it. In a + victim paralysed by the regulation sting, the conditions would be very + different. There are no external movements, nor any internal movements + either, when the mandibles bite, because the victim is insensible. The + grub, undisturbed in any way, is then able, with an unfaltering tooth, to + pursue its scientific method of eating. + </p> + <p> + These marvellous results interested me too much not to inspire me with + fresh devices when I pursued my investigations. Earlier enquiries had + taught me that the larvae of the Digger-wasps are fairly indifferent to + the nature of the game, though the mother always supplies them with the + same diet. I had succeeded in rearing them on a great variety of prey, + without paying regard to their normal fare. I shall return to this subject + later, when I hope to demonstrate its great philosophical significance. + Let us profit by these data and try to discover what happens when we give + the Scolia food which is not properly its own. + </p> + <p> + I select from my heap of garden-mould, that inexhaustible mine, two larvae + of the Rhinoceros Beetle, Oryctes nasicornis, about one-third full-grown, + so that their size may not be out of proportion to the Scolia's. It is in + fact almost identical with the size of the Cetonia. I paralyse one of them + by giving an injection of ammonia in the nerve-centres. I make a fine + incision in its belly and I place the Scolia on the opening. The dish + pleases my charge; and it would be strange indeed if this were not so, + considering that another Scolia-grub, the larva of the Garden Scolia, + feeds on the Oryctes. The dish suits it, for before long it has burrowed + half-way into the succulent paunch. This time all goes well. Will the + rearing be successful? Not a bit of it! On the third day, the Oryctes + decomposes and the Scolia dies. Which shall we hold responsible for the + failure, myself or the grub? Myself who, perhaps too unskilfully, + administered the injection of ammonia, or the grub which, a novice at + dissecting a prey differing from its own, did not know how to practise its + craft upon a changed victim and began to bite before the proper time? + </p> + <p> + In my uncertainty, I try again. This time I shall not interfere, so that + my clumsiness cannot be to blame. As I described when speaking of the + Cetonia-larva, the Oryctes-larva now lies bound, quite alive, on a strip + of cork. As usual, I make a small opening in the belly, to entice the grub + by means of a bleeding wound and facilitate its access. I obtain the same + negative result. In a little while, the Oryctes is a noisome mass on which + the nurseling lies poisoned. The failure was foreseen: to the difficulties + presented by a prey unknown to my charge was added the commotion caused by + the wriggling of an unparalysed animal. + </p> + <p> + We will try once more, this time with a victim paralysed not by me, an + unskilled operator, but by an adept whose ability ranks so high that it is + beyond discussion. Chance favours me to perfection: yesterday, in a warm + sheltered corner, at the foot of a sandy bank, I discovered three cells of + the Languedocian Sphex, each with its Ephippiger and the recently laid + egg. This is the game I want, a corpulent prey, of a size suited to the + Scolia and, what is more, in splendid condition, artistically paralysed + according to rule by a master among masters. + </p> + <p> + As usual, I install my three Ephippigers in a glass jar, on a bed of + mould; I remove the egg of the Sphex and on each victim, after slightly + incising the skin of the belly, I place a young Scolia-grub. For three or + four days my charges feed upon this game, so novel to them, without any + sign of repugnance or hesitation. By the fluctuations of the digestive + canal I perceive that the work of nutrition is proceeding as it should; + things are happening just as if the dish were a Cetonia-larva. The change + of diet, complete though it is, has in no way affected the appetite of the + Scolia-grubs. But this prosperous condition does not last long. About the + fourth day, a little sooner in one case, a little later in another, the + three Ephippigers become putrid and the Scoliae die at the same time. + </p> + <p> + This result is eloquent. Had I left the egg of the Sphex to hatch, the + larva coming out of it would have fed upon the Ephippiger; and for the + hundredth time I should have witnessed an incomprehensible spectacle, that + of an animal which, devoured piecemeal for nearly a fortnight, grows thin + and empty, shrivels up and yet retains to the very end the freshness + peculiar to living flesh. Substitute for this Sphex-larva a Scolia-larva + of almost the same size; let the dish be the same though the guest is + different; and healthy live flesh is promptly replaced by pestilent rotten + flesh. That which under the mandibles of the Sphex would for a long while + have remained wholesome food promptly becomes a poisonous liquescence + under the mandibles of the Scolia. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible to explain the preservation of the victuals until finally + consumed by supposing that the venom injected by the Wasp when she + delivers her paralysing stings possesses antiseptic properties. The three + Ephippigers were operated on by the Sphex. Able to keep fresh under the + mandibles of the Sphex-larvae, why did they promptly go bad under the + mandibles of the Scolia-larvae? Any idea of an antiseptic must needs be + rejected: a liquid preservative which would act in the first case could + not fail to act in the second, as its virtues would not depend on the + teeth of the consumer. + </p> + <p> + Those of you who are versed in the knowledge attaching to this problem, + investigate, I beg you, search, sift, see if you can discover the reason + why the victuals keep fresh when consumed by a Sphex, whereas they + promptly become putrid when consumed by a Scolia. For me, I see only one + reason; and I very much doubt whether any one can suggest another. + </p> + <p> + Both larvae practise a special art of eating, which is determined by the + nature of the game. The Sphex, when sitting down to an Ephippiger, the + food that has fallen to its lot, knows thoroughly how to consume it and + how to preserve, to the very end, the glimmer of life which keeps it + fresh; but, if it has to browse upon a Cetonia-grub, whose different + structure would confuse its talents as a dissector, it would soon have + nothing before it but a heap of putrescence. The Scolia, in its turn, is + familiar with the method of eating the Cetonia-grub, its invariable + portion; but it does not understand the art of eating the Ephippiger, + though the dish is to its taste. Unable to dissect this unknown species of + game, its mandibles slash away at random, killing the creature outright as + soon as they take their first bites of the deeper tissues of the victim. + That is the whole secret. + </p> + <p> + One more word, on which I shall enlarge in another chapter. I observe that + the Scoliae to which I give Ephippigers paralysed by the Sphex keep in + excellent condition, despite the change of diet, so long as the provisions + retain their freshness. They languish when the game goes high; and they + die when putridity supervenes. Their death, therefore, is due not to an + unaccustomed diet, but to poisoning by one or other of those terrible + toxins which are engendered by animal corruption and which chemistry calls + by the name of ptomaines. Therefore, notwithstanding the fatal outcome of + my three attempts, I remain persuaded that the unfamiliar method of + rearing would have been perfectly successful had the Ephippigers not gone + bad, that is, if the Scoliae had known how to eat them according to the + rules. + </p> + <p> + What a delicate and dangerous thing is the art of eating in these + carnivorous larvae supplied with a single victim, which they have to spend + a fortnight in consuming, on the express condition of not killing it until + the very end! Could our physiological science, of which, with good reason, + we are so proud, describe, without blundering, the method to be followed + in the successive mouthfuls? How has a miserable grub learnt what our + knowledge cannot tell us? By habit, the Darwinians will reply, who see in + instinct an acquired habit. + </p> + <p> + Before deciding this serious matter, I will ask you to reflect that the + first Wasp, of whatever kind, that thought of feeding her progeny on a + Cetonia-grub or on any other large piece of game demanding long + preservation could necessarily have left no descendants unless the art of + consuming food without causing putrescence had been practised, with all + its scrupulous caution, from the first generation onwards. Having as yet + learnt nothing by habit or by atavistic transmission, since it was making + a first beginning, the nurseling would bite into its provender at random. + It would be starving, it would have no respect for its prey. It would + carve its joint at random; and we have just seen the fatal consequence of + an ill-directed bite. It would perish—I have just proved this in the + most positive manner—it would perish, poisoned by its victim, + already dead and putrid. + </p> + <p> + To prosper, it would have, although a novice, to know what was permitted + and what forbidden in ransacking the creature's entrails; nor would it be + enough for the larva to be approximately in possession of this difficult + secret: it would be indispensable that it should possess the secret + completely, for a single bite, if delivered before the right moment, would + inevitably involve its own demise. The Scoliae of my experiments are not + novices, far from it: they are the descendants of carvers that have + practised their art since Scoliae first came into the world; nevertheless + they all perish from the decomposition of the rations supplied, when I try + to feed them on Ephippigers paralysed by the Sphex. Very expert in the + method of attacking the Cetonia, they do not know how to set about the + business of discreetly consuming a species of game new to them. All that + escapes them is a few details, for the trade of an ogre fed on live flesh + is familiar to them in its general features; and these unheeded details + are enough to turn their food into poison. What, then, happened in the + beginning, when the larva bit for the first time into a luscious victim? + The inexperienced creature perished; of that there is not a shadow of + doubt, unless we admit an absurdity and imagine the larva of antiquity + feeding upon those terrible ptomaines which so swiftly kill its + descendants to-day. + </p> + <p> + Nothing will ever make me admit and no unprejudiced mind can admit that + what was once food has become a horrible poison. What the larva of + antiquity ate was live flesh and not putrescence. Nor can it be admitted + that the chances of fortune can have led at the first trial to success in + a system of nourishment so full of pit-falls: fortuitous results are + preposterous amid so many complications. Either the feeding is strictly + methodical at the beginning, in conformity with the organic exigencies of + the prey devoured, and the Wasp established her race; or else it was + hesitating, without determined rules, and the Wasp left no successor. In + the first case we behold innate instinct; in the second acquired habit. + </p> + <p> + A strange acquisition, truly! An acquisition presumed to be made by an + impossible creature; an acquisition supposed to develop in no less + impossible successors! Though the snow-ball, slowly rolling, at last + becomes an enormous sphere, it is still necessary that the starting-point + shall not have been NIL. The big ball implies the little ball, as small as + you please. Now, in harking back to the origin of these acquired habits, + if I interrogate the possibilities I obtain zero as the only answer. If + the animal does not know its trade thoroughly, if it has to acquire + something, all the more if it has to acquire everything, it perishes: that + is inevitable; without the little snow-ball the big snow-ball cannot be + rolled. If it has nothing to acquire, if it knows all that it needs to + know, it flourishes and leaves descendants behind it. But then it + possesses innate instinct, the instinct which learns nothing and forgets + nothing, the instinct which is steadfast throughout time. + </p> + <p> + The building up of theories has never appealed to me: I suspect them one + and all. To argue nebulously upon dubious premises likes me no better. I + observe, I experiment and I let the facts speak for themselves. We have + just heard these facts. Let each now decide for himself whether instinct + is an innate faculty or an acquired habit. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 4. THE CETONIA-LARVA. + </h2> + <p> + The Scolia's feeding-period lasts, on the average, for a dozen days or so. + By then the victuals are no more than a crumpled bag, a skin emptied of + the last scrap of nutriment. A little earlier, the russet-yellow tint + announces the extinction of the last spark of life in the creature that is + being devoured. The empty skin is pushed back to make space; the + dining-room, a shapeless cavity with crumbling walls, is tidied up a + little; and the Scolia-grub sets to work on its cocoon without further + delay. + </p> + <p> + The first courses form a general scaffolding, which finds a support here + and there on the earthen walls, and consist of a rough, blood-red fabric. + When the larva is merely laid, as required by my investigations, in a + hollow made with the finger-tip in the bed of mould, it is not able to + spin its cocoon, for want of a ceiling to which to fasten the upper + threads of its network. To weave its cocoon, every spinning larva is + compelled to isolate itself in a hammock slung in an open-work enclosure, + which enables it to distribute its thread uniformly in all directions. If + there be no ceiling, the upper part of the cocoon cannot be fashioned, + because the worker lacks the necessary points of support. Under these + conditions my Scolia-grubs contrive at most to upholster their little pit + with a thick down of reddish silk. Discouraged by futile endeavours, some + of them die. It is as if they had been killed by the silk which they omit + to disgorge because they are unable to make the right use of it. This, if + we were not watchful, would be a very frequent cause of failure in our + attempts at artificial rearing. But, once the danger has been perceived, + the remedy is simple. I make a ceiling over the cavity by laying a short + strip of paper above it. If I want to see how matters are progressing, I + bend the strip into a semicircle, into a half-cylinder with open ends. + Those who wish to play the breeder for themselves will be able to profit + by these little practical details. + </p> + <p> + In twenty-four hours the cocoon is finished; at least, it no longer allows + us to see the grub, which is doubtless making the walls of its dwelling + still thicker. At first the cocoon is a vivid red; later it changes to a + light chestnut-brown. Its form is that of an ellipsoid, with a major axis + 26 millimetres in length, while the minor axis measures 11 millimetres. + (1.014 x.429 inch.—Translator's Note.) These dimensions, which + incidentally are inclined to vary slightly, are those of the female + cocoons. In the other sex they are smaller and may measure as little as 17 + millimetres in length by 7 millimetres in width. (.663 x.273 inch.—Translator's + Note.) + </p> + <p> + The two ends of the ellipsoid have the same form, so much so that it is + only thanks to an individual peculiarity, independent of the shape, that + we can tell the cephalic from the anal extremity. The cephalic pole is + flexible and yields to the pressure of my tweezers; the anal pole is hard + and unyielding. The wrapper is double, as in the cocoons of the Sphex. + (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapters 4 to 10 et passim.—Translator's + Note.) The outer envelope, consisting of pure silk, is thin, flexible and + offers little resistance. It is closely superimposed upon the inner + envelope and is easily separated from it everywhere, except at the anal + end, where it adheres to the second envelope. The adhesion of the two + wrappers at one end and the non-adhesion at the other are the cause of the + differences which the tweezers reveal when pinching the two ends of the + cocoon. + </p> + <p> + The inner envelope is firm, elastic, rigid and, to a certain point, + brittle. I do not hesitate to look upon it as consisting of a silken + tissue which the larva, towards the end of its task, has steeped + thoroughly in a sort of varnish prepared not by the silk-glands but by the + stomach. The cocoons of the Sphex have already shown us a similar varnish. + This product of the chylific ventricle is chestnut-brown. It is this + which, saturating the thickness of the tissue, effaces the bright red of + the beginning and replaces it by a brown tint. It is this again which, + disgorged more profusely at the lower end of the cocoon, glues the two + wrappers together at that point. + </p> + <p> + The perfect insect is hatched at the beginning of July. The emergence + takes place without any violent effraction, without any ragged rents. A + clean, circular fissure appears at some distance from the top; and the + cephalic end is detached all of a piece, as a loose lid might be. It is as + though the recluse had only to raise a cover by butting it with her head, + so exact is the line of division, at least as regards the inner envelope, + the stronger and more important of the two. As for the outer wrapper, its + lack of resistance enables it to yield without difficulty when the other + gives way. + </p> + <p> + I cannot quite make out by what knack the Wasp contrives to detach the cap + of the inner shell with such accuracy. Is it the art practised by the + tailor when cutting his stuff, with mandibles taking the place of + scissors? I hardly venture to admit as much: the tissue is so tough and + the circle of division so precise. The mandibles are not sharp enough to + cut without leaving a ragged edge; and then what geometrical certainty + they would need for an operation so perfect that it might well have been + performed with the compasses! + </p> + <p> + I suspect therefore that the Scolia first fashions the outer sac in + accordance with the usual method, that is, by distributing the silk + uniformly, without any special preparation of one part of the wall more + than of another, and that it afterwards changes its method of weaving in + order to attend to the main work, the inner shell. In this it apparently + imitates the Bembex (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapters 14 to 16.—Translator's + Note.), which weaves a sort of eel-trap, whose ample mesh allows it to + gather grains of sand outside and encrust them one by one in the silky + network, and completes the performance with a cap fitting the entrance to + the trap. This provides a circular line of least resistance, along which + the casket breaks open afterwards. If the Scolia really works in the same + manner, everything is explained: the eel-trap, while still open, enables + it to soak with varnish both the inside and the outside of the inner + shell, which has to acquire the consistency of parchment; lastly, the cap + which completes and closes the structure leaves for the future a circular + line capable of splitting easily and neatly. + </p> + <p> + This is enough on the subject of the Scolia-grub. Let us go back to its + provender, of whose remarkable structure we as yet know nothing. In order + that it may be consumed with the delicate anatomical discretion imposed by + the necessity of having fresh food to the last, the Cetonia-grub must be + plunged into a state of absolute immobility: any twitchings on its part—as + the experiments which I have undertaken go to prove—would discourage + our nibbling larva and impede the work of carving, which has to be + effected with so much circumspection. It is not enough for the victim to + be unable to move from place to place beneath the soil: in addition to + this, the contractible power in its sturdy muscular organism must be + suppressed. + </p> + <p> + In its normal state, this larva, at the very least disturbance, curls + itself up, almost as the Hedgehog does; and the two halves of the ventral + surface are laid one against the other. You are quite surprised at the + strength which the creature displays in keeping itself thus contracted. If + you try to unroll it, your fingers encounter a resistance far greater than + the size of the animal would have caused you to suspect. To overcome the + resistance of this sort of spring coiled upon itself, you have to force + it, so much so that you are afraid, if you persist, of seeing the + indomitable spiral suddenly burst and shoot forth its entrails. + </p> + <p> + A similar muscular energy is found in the larvae of the Oryctes (Also + known as the Rhinoceros Beetle.—Translator's Note.), the Anoxia (A + Beetle akin to the Cockchafer.—Translator's Note.), the Cockchafer. + Weighed down by a heavy belly and living underground, where they feed + either on leaf-mould or on roots, these larvae all possess the vigorous + constitution needed to drag their corpulence through a resisting medium. + All of them also roll themselves into a hook which is not straightened + without an effort. + </p> + <p> + Now what would become of the egg and the new-born grub of the Scoliae, + fixed under the belly, at the centre of the Cetonia's spiral, or inside + the hook of the Oryctes or the Anoxia? They would be crushed between the + jaws of the living vice. It is essential that the arc should slacken and + the hook unbend, without the least possibility of their returning to a + state of tension. Indeed, the well-being of the Scoliae demands something + more: those powerful bodies must not retain even the power to quiver, lest + they derange a method of feeding which has to be conducted with the + greatest caution. + </p> + <p> + The Cetonia-grub to which the Two-banded Scolia's egg is fastened fulfils + the required conditions admirably. It is lying on its back, in the midst + of the mould, with its belly fully extended. Long accustomed though I be + to this spectacle of victims paralysed by the sting of the Hunting Wasp, I + cannot suppress my astonishment at the profound immobility of the prey + before my eyes. In the other victims with flexible skins, Caterpillars, + Crickets, Mantes, Ephippigers, I perceived at least some pulsations of the + abdomen, a few feeble contortions under the stimulus of a needle. There is + nothing of the sort here, nothing but absolute inertia, except in the + head, where I see, from time to time, the mouth-parts open and close, the + palpi give a tremor, the short antennae sway to and fro. A prick with the + point of a needle causes no contraction, no matter what the spot pricked. + Though I stab it through and through, the creature does not stir, be it + ever so little. A corpse is not more inert. Never, since my remotest + investigations, have I witnessed so profound a paralysis. I have seen many + wonders due to the surgical talent of the Wasp; but to-day's marvel + surpasses them all. + </p> + <p> + I am doubly surprised when I consider the unfavourable conditions under + which the Scolia operates. The other paralysers work in the open air, in + the full light of day. There is nothing to hinder them. They enjoy full + liberty of action in seizing the prey, holding it in position and + sacrificing it; they are able to see the victim and to parry its means of + defence, to avoid its spears, its pincers. The spot or spots to be + attained are within their reach; they drive the dagger in without let or + hindrance. + </p> + <p> + What difficulties, on the other hand, await the Scolia! She hunts + underground, in the blackest darkness. Her movements are laboured and + uncertain, owing to the mould, which is continually giving way all round + her; she cannot keep her eyes on the terrible mandibles, which are capable + of cutting her body in two with a single bite. Moreover, the Cetonia-grub, + perceiving that the enemy is approaching, assumes its defensive posture, + rolls itself up and makes a shield for its only vulnerable part, the + ventral surface, with its convex back. No, it cannot be an easy operation + to subdue the powerful larva in its underground retreat and to stab with + the precision which immediate paralysis requires. + </p> + <p> + We wish that we might witness the struggle between the two adversaries and + see at first hand what happens, but we cannot hope to succeed. It all + takes place in the mysterious darkness of the soil; in broad daylight, the + attack would not be delivered, for the victim must remain where it is and + then and there receive the egg, which is unable to thrive and develop + except under the warm cover of vegetable mould. If direct observation is + impracticable, we can at least foresee the main outlines of the drama by + allowing ourselves to be guided by the warlike manoeuvres of other + burrowers. + </p> + <p> + I picture things thus: digging and rummaging through the heap of mould, + guided perhaps by that singular sensibility of the antennae which enables + the Hairy Ammophila to discover the Grey Worm (The caterpillar of the + Turnip Moth. Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapters 18 to 20.—Translator's + Note.) underground, the Scolia ends by finding a Cetonia-larva, a good + plump one, in the pink of condition, having reached its full growth, just + what the grub which is to feed on it requires. Forthwith, the assaulted + victim, contracting desperately, rolls itself into a ball. The other + seizes it by the skin of the neck. To unroll it is impossible to the + insect, for I myself have some trouble in doing so. One single point is + accessible to the sting: the under part of the head, or rather of the + first segments, which are placed outside the coil, so that the grub's hard + cranium makes a rampart for the hinder extremity, which is less well + defended. Here the Wasp's sting enters and here only can it enter, within + a narrowly circumscribed area. One stab only of the lancet is given at + this point, one only because there is no room for more; and this is + enough: the larva is absolutely paralysed. + </p> + <p> + The nervous functions are abolished instantly; the muscular contractions + cease; and the animal uncoils like a broken spring. Henceforth motionless, + it lies on its back, its ventral surface fully exposed from end to end. On + the median line of this surface, towards the rear, near the brown patch + due to the alimentary broth contained in the intestine, the Scolia lays + her egg and without more ado, leaves everything lying on the actual spot + where the murder was committed, in order to go in search of another + victim. + </p> + <p> + This is how the deed must be done: the results prove it emphatically. But + then the Cetonia-grub must possess a very exceptional structure in its + nervous organization. The larva's violent contraction leaves but a single + point of attack open to the sting, the under part of the neck, which is + doubtless uncovered when the victim tries to defend itself with its + mandibles; and yet a stab in this one point produces the most thorough + paralysis that I have ever seen. It is the general rule that larvae + possess a centre of innervation for each segment. This is so in particular + with the Grey Worm, the sacrificial victim of the Hairy Ammophila. The + Wasp is acquainted with this anatomical secret: she stabs the caterpillar + again and again, from end to end, segment by segment, ganglion by + ganglion. With such an organization the Cetonia-grub, unconquerably coiled + upon itself would defy the paralyser's surgical skill. + </p> + <p> + If the first ganglion were wounded, the others would remain uninjured; and + the powerful body, actuated by these last, would lose none of its powers + of contraction. Woe then to the egg, to the young grub held fast in its + embrace! And how insurmountable would be the difficulties if the Scolia, + working in the profound darkness amid the crumbling soil and confronted by + a terrible pair of mandibles, had to stab each segment in turn with her + sting, with the certainty of method displayed by the Ammophila! The + delicate operation is possible in the open air, where nothing stands in + the way, in broad daylight, where the sight guides the scalpel, and with a + patient which can always be released if it becomes dangerous. But in the + dark, underground, amidst the ruins of a ceiling which crumbles in + consequence of the conflict and at close quarters with an opponent greatly + her superior in strength, how is the Scolia to guide her sting with the + accuracy that is essential if the stabs are to be repeated? + </p> + <p> + So profound a paralysis; the difficulty of vivisection underground; the + desperate coiling of the victim: all these things tell me that the + Cetonia-grub, as regards its nervous system, must possess a structure + peculiar to itself. The whole of the ganglia must be concentrated in a + limited area in the first segments, almost under the neck. I see this as + clearly as though it had been revealed to me by a post-mortem dissection. + </p> + <p> + Never was anatomical forecast more fully confirmed by direct examination. + After forty-eight hours in benzine, which dissolves the fat and renders + the nervous system more plainly visible, the Cetonia-grub is subjected to + dissection. Those of my readers who are familiar with these investigations + will understand my delight. What a clever school is the Scolia's! It is + just as I thought! Admirable! The thoracic and abdominal ganglia are + gathered into a single nervous mass, situated within the quadrilateral + bounded by the four hinder legs, which legs are very near the head. It is + a tiny, dull-white cylinder, about three millimetres long by half a + millimetre wide. (.117 x.019 inch.—Translator's Note.) This is the + organ which the Scolia's sting must attack in order to secure the + paralysis of the whole body, excepting the head, which is provided with + special ganglia. From it run numbers of filaments which actuate the feet + and the powerful muscular layer which is the creature's essential motor + organ. When examined merely through the pocket-lens, this cylinder appears + to be slightly furrowed transversely, a proof of its complex structure. + Under the microscope, it is seen to be formed by the close juxtaposition, + the welding, end to end, of the ganglia, which can be distinguished one + from the other by a slight intermediate groove. The bulkiest are the + first, the fourth and the tenth, or last; these are all very nearly of + equal size. The rest are barely half or even a third as large as those + mentioned. + </p> + <p> + The Interrupted Scolia experiences the same hunting and surgical + difficulties when she attacks, in the crumbling, sandy soil, the larvae of + the Shaggy Anoxia or of the Morning Anoxia, according to the district; and + these difficulties, if they are to be overcome, demand in the victim a + concentrated nervous system, like the Cetonia's. Such is my logical + conviction before making my examination; such also is the result of direct + observation. When subjected to the scalpel, the larva of the Morning + Anoxia shows me its centres of innervation for the thorax and the abdomen, + gathered into a short cylinder, which, placed very far forward, almost + immediately after the head, does not run back beyond the level of the + second pair of legs. The vulnerable point is thus easily accessible to the + sting, despite the creature's posture of defence, in which it contracts + and coils up. In this cylinder I recognize eleven ganglia, one more than + in the Cetonia. The first three, or thoracic, ganglia are plainly + distinguishable from one another, although they are set very close + together; the rest are all in contact. The largest are the three thoracic + ganglia and the eleventh. + </p> + <p> + After ascertaining these facts, I remembered Swammerdam's investigations + into the grub of the Monoceros, our Oryctes nasicornis. (Jan Swammerdam + (1637-1680), the Dutch naturalist and anatomist.—Translator's Note.) + I chanced to possess an abridgement of the "Biblia naturae," the masterly + work of the father of insect anatomy. I consulted the venerable volume. It + informed me that the learned Dutchman had been struck, long before I was, + by an anatomical peculiarity similar to that which the larvae of the + Cetoniae and Anoxiae had shown me in their nerve-centres. Having observed + in the Silk-worm a nervous system formed of ganglia distinct one from the + other, he was quite surprised to find that, in the grub of the Oryctes, + the same system was concentrated into a short chain of ganglia in + juxtaposition. His was the surprise of the anatomist who, studying the + organ qua organ, sees for the first time an unusual conformation. Mine was + of a different nature: I was amazed to see the precision with which the + paralysis of the victim sacrificed by the Scolia, a paralysis so profound + in spite of the difficulties of an underground operation, had guided my + forecast as to structure when, anticipating the dissection, I declared in + favour of an exceptional concentration of the nervous system. Physiology + perceived what anatomy had not yet revealed, at all events to my eyes, for + since then, on dipping into my books, I have learnt that these anatomical + peculiarities, which were then so new to me, are now within the domain of + current science. We know that, in the Scarabaeidae, both the larva and the + perfect insect are endowed with a concentrated nervous system. + </p> + <p> + The Garden Scolia attacks Oryctes nasicornis; the Two-banded Scolia the + Cetonia; the Interrupted Scolia the Anoxia. All three operate below + ground, under the most unfavourable conditions; and all three have for + their victim a larva of one of the Scarabaeidae, which, thanks to the + exceptional arrangement of its nerve-centres, lends itself, alone of all + larvae, to the Wasp's successful enterprises. In the presence of this + underground game, so greatly varied in size and shape and yet so + judiciously selected to facilitate paralysis, I do not hesitate to + generalize and I accept, as the ration of the other Scoliae, larvae of + Lamellicorns whose species will be determined by future observation. + Perhaps one of them will be found to give chase to the terrible enemy of + my crops, the voracious White Worm, the grub of the Cockchafer; perhaps + the Hemorrhoidal Scolia, rivalling in size the Garden Scolia and like her, + no doubt, requiring a copious diet, will be entered in the insects' "Who's + Who" as the destroyer of the Pine-chafer, that magnificent Beetle, flecked + with white upon a black or brown ground, who of an evening, during the + summer solstice, browses on the foliage of the fir-trees. Though unable to + speak with certainty or precision, I am inclined to look upon these + devourers of Scarabaeus-grubs as valiant agricultural auxiliaries. + </p> + <p> + The Cetonia-larva has figured hitherto only in its quality of a paralysed + victim. We will now consider it in its normal state. With its convex back + and its almost flat ventral surface, the creature is like a semi-cylinder + in shape, fuller in the hinder portion. On the back, each of the segments, + except the last, or anal, segment, puckers into three thick pads, + bristling with stiff, tawny hairs. The anal segment, much wider than the + rest, is rounded at the end and coloured a deep brown by the contents of + the intestine, which show through the translucent skin; it bristles with + hairs like the other segments, but is level, without pads. On the ventral + surface, the segments have no creases; and the hairs, though abundant, are + rather less so than on the back. The legs, which are quite well-formed, + are short and feeble in comparison with the animal's size. The head has a + strong, horny cap for a cranium. The mandibles are powerful, with bevelled + tips and three or four teeth on the edge of the bevel. + </p> + <p> + Its mode of locomotion marks it as an idiosyncratic, exceptional, + fantastic creature, having no fellow, that I know of, in the insect world. + Though endowed with legs—a trifle short, it is true, but after all + as good as those of a host of other larvae—it never uses them for + walking. It progresses on its back, always on its back, never otherwise. + By means of wriggling movements and the purchase afforded by the dorsal + bristles, it makes its way belly upwards, with its legs kicking the empty + air. The spectator to whom these topsy-turvy gymnastics are a novelty + thinks at first that the creature must have had a fright of some sort and + that it is struggling as best it can in the face of danger. He puts it + back on its belly; he lays it on its side. Nothing is of any use; it + obstinately turns over and resumes its dorsal progress. That is its manner + of travelling over a flat surface; it has no other. + </p> + <p> + This reversal of the usual mode of walking is so peculiar to the + Cetonia-larva that it is enough in itself to reveal the grub's identity to + the least expert eyes. Dig into the vegetable mould formed by the decayed + wood in the hollow trunks of old willow-trees, search at the foot of + rotten stumps or in heaps of compost; and, if you come upon a plumpish + grub moving along on its back, there is no room for doubt: your discovery + is a Cetonia-larva. + </p> + <p> + This topsy-turvy progress is fairly swift and is not less in speed to that + of an equally fat grub travelling on its legs. It would even be greater on + a polished surface, where walking on foot is hampered by incessant slips, + whereas the numerous hairs of the dorsal pads find the necessary support + by multiplying the points of contact. On polished wood, on a sheet of + paper and even on a strip of glass, I see my grubs moving from point to + point with the same ease as on a surface of garden mould. In the space of + one minute, on the wood of my table, they cover a distance of eight + inches. The pace is no swifter on a horizontal bed of sifted mould. A + strip of glass reduces the distance covered by one half. The slippery + surface only half paralyses this strange method of locomotion. + </p> + <p> + We will now place side by side with the Cetonia-grub the larva of the + Morning Anoxia, the prey of the Interrupted Scolia. It is very like the + larva of the Common Cockchafer. It is a fat, pot-bellied grub, with a + thick, red cap on its head and armed with strong, black mandibles, which + are powerful implements for digging and cutting through roots. The legs + are sturdy and end in a hooked nail. The creature has a long, heavy, brown + paunch. When placed on the table, it lies on its side; it struggles + without being able to advance or even to remain on its belly or back. In + its usual posture it is curled up into a narrow hook. I have never seen it + straighten itself completely; the bulky abdomen prevents it. When placed + on a surface of moist sand, the ventripotent creature is no better able to + shift its position: curved into a fish-hook, it lies on its side. + </p> + <p> + To dig into the earth and bury itself, it uses the fore-edge of its head, + a sort of weeding-hoe with the two mandibles for points. The legs take + part in this work, but far less effectually. In this way it contrives to + dig itself a shallow pit. Then, bracing itself against the wall of the + pit, with the aid of wriggling movements which are favoured by the short, + stiff hairs bristling all over its body, the grub changes its position and + plunges into the sand, but still with difficulty. + </p> + <p> + Apart from a few details, which are of no importance here, we may repeat + this sketch of the Anoxia-grub and we shall have, if the size be at least + quadrupled, a picture of the larva of Oryctes nasicornis, the monstrous + prey of the Garden Scolia. Its general appearance is the same: there is + the same exaggeration of the belly; the same hook-like curve; the same + incapacity for standing on its legs. And as much may be said of the larva + of Scarabaeus pentodon, a fellow-boarder of the Oryctes and the Cetonia. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 5. THE PROBLEM OF THE SCOLIAE. + </h2> + <p> + Now that all the facts have been set forth, it is time to collate them. We + already know that the Beetle-hunters, the Cerceres (Cf. "The Hunting + Wasps": chapters 1 to 3.—Translator's Note.), prey exclusively on + the Weevils and the Buprestes, that is, on the families whose nervous + system presents a degree of concentration which may be compared with that + of the Scolia's victims. Those predatory insects, working in the open air, + are exempt from the difficulties which their emulators, working + underground, have to overcome. Their movements are free and are directed + by the sense of sight; but their surgery is confronted in another respect + with a most arduous problem. + </p> + <p> + The victim, a Beetle, is covered at all points with a suit of armour which + the sting is unable to penetrate. The joints alone will allow the poisoned + lancet to pass. Those of the legs do not in any way comply with the + conditions imposed: the result of stinging them would be merely a partial + disorder which far from subduing the insect, would render it more + dangerous by irritating it yet further. A sting in the joint of the neck + is not admissible: it would injure the cervical ganglia and lead to death, + followed by putrefaction. There remains only the joint between the + corselet and the abdomen. + </p> + <p> + The sting, in entering here, has to abolish all movement with a single + stab, for any movement would imperil the rearing of the larva. The success + of the paralysis, therefore, demands that the motor ganglia, at least the + three thoracic ganglia, shall be packed in close contact opposite this + point. This determines the selection of Weevils and Buprestes, both of + which are so strongly armoured. + </p> + <p> + But where the prey has only a soft skin, incapable of stopping the sting, + the concentrated nervous system is no longer necessary, for the operator, + versed in the anatomical secrets of her victim, knows to perfection where + the centres of innervation lie; and she wounds them one after another, if + need be from the first to the last. Thus do the Ammophilae go to work when + dealing with their caterpillars and the Sphex-wasps when dealing with + their Locusts, Ephippigers and Crickets. + </p> + <p> + With the Scoliae we come once again to a soft prey, with a skin penetrable + by the sting no matter where it be attacked. Will the tactics of the + caterpillar-hunters, who stab and stab again, be repeated here? No, for + the difficulty of movement under ground prohibits so complicated an + operation. Only the tactics of the paralysers of armour-clad insects are + practicable now, for, since there is but one thrust of the dagger, the + feat of surgery is reduced to its simplest terms, a necessary consequence + of the difficulties of an underground operation. The Scoliae, then, whose + destiny it is to hunt and paralyse under the soil the victuals for their + family, require a prey made highly vulnerable by the close assemblage of + the nerve-centres, as are the Weevils and Buprestes of the Cerceres; and + this is why it has fallen to their lot to share among them the larvae of + the Scarabaeidae. + </p> + <p> + Before they obtained their allotted portion, so closely restricted and so + judiciously selected; before they discovered the precise and almost + mathematical point at which the sting must enter to produce a sudden and a + lasting immobility; before they learnt how to consume, without incurring + the risk of putrefaction, so corpulent a prey: in brief, before they + combined these three conditions of success, what did the Scoliae do? + </p> + <p> + The Darwinian school will reply that they were hesitating, essaying, + experimenting. A long series of blind gropings eventually hit upon the + most favourable combination, a combination henceforth to be perpetuated by + hereditary transmission. The skilful co-ordination between the end and the + means was originally the result of an accident. + </p> + <p> + Chance! A convenient refuge! I shrug my shoulders when I hear it invoked + to explain the genesis of an instinct so complex as that of the Scoliae. + In the beginning, you say, the creature gropes and feels its way; there is + nothing settled about its preferences. To feed its carnivorous larvae it + levies tribute on every species of game which is not too much for the + huntress' power or the nurseling's appetite; its descendants try now this, + now that, now something else, at random, until the accumulated centuries + lead to the selection which best suits the race. Then habit grows fixed + and becomes instinct. + </p> + <p> + Very well. Let us agree that the Scolia of antiquity sought a different + prey from that adopted by the modern huntress. If the family throve upon a + diet now discontinued, we fail to see that the descendants had any reason + to change it: animals have not the gastronomic fancies of an epicure whom + satiety makes difficult to please. Because the race did well upon this + fare, it became habitual; and instinct became differently fixed from what + it is to-day. If, on the other hand, the original food was unsuitable, the + existence of the family was jeopardized; and any attempt at future + improvement became impossible, because an unhappily inspired mother would + leave no heirs. + </p> + <p> + To escape falling into this twofold trap, the theorists will reply that + the Scoliae are descended from a precursor, an indeterminate creature, of + changeable habits and changing form, modifying itself in accordance with + its environment and with the regional and climatic conditions and + branching out into races each of which has become a species with the + attributes which distinguish it to-day. The precursor is the deus ex + machina of evolution. When the difficulty becomes altogether too + importunate, quick, a precursor, to fill up the gaps, quick, an imaginary + creature, the nebulous plaything of the mind! This is seeking to lighten + the darkness with a still deeper obscurity; to illumine the day by piling + cloud upon cloud. Precursors are easier to find than sound arguments. + Nevertheless, let us put the precursor of the Scoliae to the test. + </p> + <p> + What did she do? Being capable of everything, she did a bit of everything. + Among its descendants were innovators who developed a taste for tunnelling + in sand and vegetable mould. There they encountered the larvae of the + Cetonia, the Oryctes, the Anoxia, succulent morsels on which to rear their + families. By degrees the indeterminate Wasp adopted the sturdy proportions + demanded by underground labour. By degrees she learnt to stab her plump + neighbours in scientific fashion; by degrees she acquired the difficult + art of consuming her prey without killing it; at length, by degrees, aided + by the richness of her diet, she became the powerful Scolia with whom we + are familiar. Having reached this point, the species assumes a permanent + form, as does its instinct. + </p> + <p> + Here we have a multiplicity of stages, all of the slowest, all of the most + incredible nature, whereas the Wasp cannot found a race except on the + express condition of complete success from the first attempt. We will not + insist further upon the insurmountable objection; we will admit that, amid + so many unfavourable chances, a few favoured individuals survive, becoming + more and more numerous from one generation to the next, in proportion as + the dangerous art of rearing the young is perfected. Slight variations in + one and the same direction form a definite whole; and at long last the + ancient precursor has become the Scolia of our own times. + </p> + <p> + By the aid of a vague phraseology which juggles with the secret of the + centuries and the unknown things of life, it is easy to build up a theory + in which our mental sloth delights, after being discouraged by difficult + researches whose final result is doubt rather than positive statement. But + if, so far from being satisfied with hazy generalities and adopting as + current coin the terms consecrated by fashion, we have the perseverance to + explore the truth as far as lies in our power, the aspect of things will + undergo a great change and we shall discover that they are far less simple + than our overprecipitate views declared them to be. Generalization is + certainly a most valuable instrument: science indeed exists only by virtue + of it. Let us none the less beware of generalizations which are not based + upon very firm and manifold foundations. + </p> + <p> + When these foundations are lacking, the child is the great generalizer. + For him, the feathered world consists merely of birds; the race of + reptiles merely of snakes, the only difference being that some are big and + some are little. Knowing nothing, he generalizes in the highest degree; he + simplifies, in his inability to perceive the complex. Later he will learn + that the Sparrow is not the Bullfinch, that the Linnet is not the + Greenfinch; he will particularize and to a greater degree each day, as his + faculty of observation becomes more fully trained. In the beginning he saw + nothing but resemblances; he now sees differences, but still not plainly + enough to avoid incongruous comparisons. + </p> + <p> + In his adult years he will almost to a certainty commit zoological + blunders similar to those which my gardener retails to me. Favier, an old + soldier, has never opened a book, for the best of reasons. He barely knows + how to cipher: arithmetic rather than reading is forced upon us by the + brutalities of life. Having followed the flag over three-quarters of the + globe, he has an open mind and a memory crammed with reminiscences, which + does not prevent him, when we chat about animals, from making the most + crazy assertions. For him the Bat is a Rat that has grown wings; the + Cuckoo is a Sparrow-hawk retired from business; the Slug is a Snail who + has lost his shell with the advance of years; the Nightjar (Known also as + the Goatsucker, because of the mistaken belief that the bird sucks the + milk of Goats, and, in America, as the Whippoorwill.—Translator's + Note.), the Chaoucho-grapaou, as he calls her, is an elderly Toad, who, + becoming enamoured of milk-food, has grown feathers, so that she may enter + the byres and milk the Goats. It is impossible to drive these fantastic + ideas out of his head. Favier himself, as will be seen, is an evolutionist + after his own fashion, an evolutionist of a very daring type. In + accounting for the origin of animals nothing gives him pause. He has a + reply to everything: "this" comes from "that." If you ask him why, he + answers: + </p> + <p> + "Look at the resemblance!" + </p> + <p> + Shall we reproach him with these insanities, when we hear another, misled + by the Monkey's build, acclaim the Pithecanthropus as man's precursor? + Shall we reject the metamorphosis of the Chaoucho-grapaou, when people + tell us in all seriousness that, in the present stage of scientific + knowledge, it is absolutely proved that man is descended from some + rough-hewn Ape? Of the two transformations, Favier's strikes me as the + more credible. A painter of my acquaintance, a brother of the great + composer Felicien David (Felicien Cesar David (1810-1876). His chief work + was the choral symphony "Le Desert":—Translator's Note.), favoured + me one day with his reflections on the human structure: + </p> + <p> + "Ve, moun bel ami," he said. "Ve, l'home a lou dintre d'un por et lou + defero d'uno mounino." "See, my dear friend, see: man has the inside of a + pig and the outside of a monkey." + </p> + <p> + I recommend the painter's aphorism to those who might like to discover + man's origin in the Hog when the Ape has gone out of fashion. According to + David, descent is proved by internal resemblances: + </p> + <p> + "L'home a lou dintre d'un por." + </p> + <p> + The inventory of precursory types sees nothing but organic resemblances + and disdains the differences of aptitude. By consulting only the bones, + the vertebrae, the hair, the nervures of the wings, the joints of the + antennae, the imagination may build up any sort of genealogical tree that + will fit with our theories of classification, for, when all is said, the + animal, in its widest generalization, is represented by a digestive tube. + With this common factor, the way lies open to every kind of error. A + machine is judged not by this or that train of wheels, but by the nature + of the work accomplished. The monumental roasting-jack of a waggoners' inn + and a Breguet chronometer both have trains of cogwheels geared in almost a + similar fashion. (Louis Breguet (1803-1883), a famous Parisian watchmaker + and physicist.—Translator's Note.) Are we to class the two + mechanisms together? Shall we forget that the one turns a shoulder of + mutton before the hearth, while the other divides time into seconds? + </p> + <p> + In the same way, the organic scaffolding is dominated from on high by the + aptitudes of the animal, especially that superior characteristic, the + psychical aptitudes. That the Chimpanzee and the hideous Gorilla possess + close resemblances of structure to our own is obvious. But let us for a + moment consider their aptitudes. What differences, what a dividing gulf! + Without exalting ourselves as high as the famous reed of which Pascal + speaks, that reed which, in its weakness, by the mere fact that it knows + itself to be crushed, is superior to the world that crushes it, we may at + least ask to be shown, somewhere, an animal making an implement, which + will multiply its skill and its strength, or taking possession of fire, + the primordial element of progress. (Blaise Pascal(1623-1662). The + allusion is to a passage in the philosopher's "Pensees." Pascal describes + man as a reed, the weakest thing in nature, but "a thinking reed."—Translator's + Note.) Master of implements and of fire! These two aptitudes, simple + though they be, characterize man better than the number of his vertebrae + and his molars. + </p> + <p> + You tell us that man, at first a hairy brute, walking on all fours, has + risen on his hind-legs and shed his fur; and you complacently demonstrate + how the elimination of the hairy pelt was effected. Instead of bolstering + up a theory with a handful of fluff gained or lost, it would perhaps be + better to settle how the original brute became the possessor of implements + and fire. Aptitudes are more important than hair; and you neglect them + because it is there that the insurmountable difficulty really resides. See + how the great master of evolution hesitates and stammers when he tries, by + fair means or foul, to fit instinct into the mould of his formulae. It is + not so easy to handle as the colour of the pelt, the length of the tail, + the ear that droops or stands erect. Yes, our master well knows that this + is where the shoe pinches! Instinct escapes him and brings his theory + crumbling to the ground. + </p> + <p> + Let us return to what the Scoliae teach us on this question, which + incidentally touches on our own origin. In conformity with the Darwinian + ideas, we have accepted an unknown precursor, who by dint of repeated + experiment, adopted as the victuals to be hoarded the larvae of the + Scarabaeidae. This precursor, modified by varying circumstances, is + supposed to have subdivided herself into ramifications, one of which, + digging into vegetable mould and preferring the Cetonia to any other game + inhabiting the same heap, became the Two-banded Scolia; another, also + addicted to exploring the soil, but selecting the Oryctes, left as its + descendant the Garden Scolia; and a third, establishing itself in sandy + ground, where it found the Anoxia, was the ancestress of the Interrupted + Scolia. To these three ramifications we must beyond a doubt add others + which complete the series of the Scolia. As their habits are known to me + only by analogy, I confine myself to mentioning them. + </p> + <p> + The three species at least, therefore, with which I am familiar would + appear to be derived from a common precursor. To traverse the distance + from the starting-point to the goal, all three have had to contend with + difficulties, which are extremely grave if considered one by one and are + aggravated even more by this circumstance, that the overcoming of one + would lead to nothing unless the others were surmounted as successfully. + Success, then, is contingent upon a series of conditions, each one of + which offers almost no chance of victory, so that the fulfilment of them + all becomes a mathematical absurdity if we are to invoke accident alone. + </p> + <p> + And, in the first place, how was it that the Scolia of antiquity, having + to provide rations for her carnivorous family, adopted for her prey only + those larvae which, owing to the concentration of their nervous systems, + form so remarkable and so rare an exception in the insect order? What + chance would hazard offer her of obtaining this prey, the most suitable of + all because the most vulnerable? The chance represented by unity compared + with the indefinite number of entomological species. The odds are as one + to immensity. + </p> + <p> + Let us continue. The larva of the Scarabaeid is snapped up underground, + for the first time. The victim protests, defends itself after its fashion, + coils itself up and presents to the sting on every side a surface on which + a wound entails no serious danger. And yet the Wasp, an absolute novice, + has to select, for the thrust of its poisoned weapon, one single point, + narrowly restricted and hidden in the folds of the larva's body. If she + miscalculates, she may be killed: the larva, irritated by the smarting + puncture, is strong enough to disembowel her with the tusks of its + mandibles. If she escapes the danger, she will nevertheless perish without + leaving any offspring, since the necessary provisions will be lacking. + Salvation for herself and her race depends on this: whether at the first + thrust she is able to reach the little nervous plexus which measures + barely one-fiftieth of an inch in width. What chance has she of plunging + her lancet into it, if there is nothing to guide her? The chance + represented by unity compared with the number of points composing the + victim's body. The odds are as one against immensity. + </p> + <p> + Let us proceed still further. The sting has reached the mark; the fat grub + is deprived of movement. At what spots should the egg now be laid? In + front, behind, on the sides, the back or the belly? The choice is not a + matter of indifference. The young grub will pierce the skin of its + provender at the very spot on which the egg was fixed; and, once an + opening is made, it will go ahead without hesitation. If this point of + attack is ill-chosen, the nurseling runs the risk of presently finding + under its mandibles some essential organ, which should have been respected + until the end in order to keep the victuals fresh. Remember how difficult + it is to complete the rearing when the tiny larva is moved from the place + chosen by the mother. The game promptly becomes putrid and the Scolia + dies. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible for me to state the precise motives which lead to the + adoption of the spot on which the egg is laid; I can perceive general + reasons, but the details escape me, as I am not well enough versed in the + more delicate questions of anatomy and entomological physiology. What I do + know with absolute certainty is that the same spot is invariably chosen + for laying the egg. With not a single exception, on all the victims + extracted from the heap of garden mould—and they are numerous—the + egg is fixed behind the ventral surface, on the verge of the brown patch + formed by the contents of the digestive system. + </p> + <p> + If there be nothing to guide her, what chance has the mother of gluing her + egg to this point, which is always the same because it is that most + favourable to successful rearing? A very small point, represented by the + ratio of two or three square millimetres (About 1/100 square inch.—Translator's + Note.) to the entire surface of the victim's body. + </p> + <p> + Is this all? Not yet. The grub is hatched; it pierces the belly of the + Cetonia-larva at the requisite point; it plunges its long neck into the + entrails, ransacking them and filling itself to repletion. If it bite at + random, if it have no other guide in the selection of tit-bits than the + preference of the moment and the violence of an imperious appetite, it + will infallibly incur the danger of being poisoned by putrid food, for the + victim, if wounded in those organs which preserve a remnant of life in it, + will die for good and all at the first mouthfuls. + </p> + <p> + The ample joint must be consumed with prudent skill: this part must be + eaten before that and, after that, some other portion, always according to + method, until the time approaches for the last bites. This marks the end + of life for the Cetonia, but it also marks the end of the Scolia's + feasting. If the grub be a novice in the art of eating, if no special + instinct guide its mandibles in the belly of the prey, what chance has it + of completing its perilous meal? As much as a starving Wolf would have of + daintily dissecting his Sheep, when he tears at her gluttonously, rends + her into shreds and gulps them down. + </p> + <p> + These four conditions of success, with chance so near to zero in each + case, must all be realized together, or the grub will never be reared. The + Scolia may have captured a larva with close-packed nerve-centres, a + Cetonia-grub, for instance; but this will go for nothing unless she direct + her sting towards the only vulnerable point. She may know the whole secret + of the art of stabbing her victim, but this means nothing if she does not + know where to fasten her egg. The suitable spot may be found, but all the + foregoing will be useless if the grub be not versed in the method to be + followed in devouring its prey while keeping it alive. It is all or + nothing. + </p> + <p> + Who would venture to calculate the final chance on which the future of the + Scolia, or of her precursor, is based, that complex chance whose factors + are four infinitely improbable occurrences, one might almost say four + impossibilities? And such a conjunction is supposed to be a fortuitous + result, to which the present instinct is due! Come, come! + </p> + <p> + From another point of view again, the Darwinian theory is at variance with + the Scoliae and their prey. In the heap of garden mould which I exploited + in order to write this record, three kinds of larvae dwell together, + belonging to the Scarabaeid group: the Cetonia, the Oryctes and Scarabeus + pentodon. Their internal structure is very nearly similar; their food is + the same, consisting of decomposing vegetable matter; their habits are + identical: they live underground in tunnels which are frequently renewed; + they make a rough egg-shaped cocoon of earthy materials. Environment, + diet, industry and internal structure are all similar; and yet one of + these three larvae, the Cetonia's, reveals a most singular dissimilarity + from its fellow-trenchermen: alone among the Scarabaeidae and, more than + that, alone in all the immense order of insects, it walks upon its back. + </p> + <p> + If the differences were a matter of a few petty structural details, + falling within the finical department of the classifier, we might pass + them over without hesitation; but a creature that turns itself upside down + in order to walk with its belly in the air and never adopts any other + method of locomotion, though it possesses legs and good legs at that, + assuredly deserves examination. How did the animal acquire its fantastic + mode of progress and why does it think fit to walk in a fashion the exact + contrary of that adopted by other beasts? + </p> + <p> + To these questions the science now in fashion always has a reply ready: + adaptation to environment. The Cetonia-larva lives in crumbling galleries + which it bores in the depths of the soil. Like the sweep who obtains a + purchase with his back, loins and knees to hoist himself up the narrow + passage of a chimney, it gathers itself up, applies the tip of its belly + to one wall of its gallery and its sturdy back to another; and the + combined effort of these two levers results in moving it forward. The + legs, which are used very little, indeed hardly at all, waste away and + tend to disappear, as does any organ which is left unemployed; the back, + on the other hand, the principal motive agent, grows stronger, is furrowed + with powerful folds and bristles with grappling-hooks or hairs; and + gradually, by adaptation to its environment, the creature loses the art of + walking, which it does not practise, and replaces it by that of crawling + on its back, a form of progress better suited to underground corridors. + </p> + <p> + So far so good. But now tell me, if you please, why the larvae of the + Oryctes and the Scarabaeus, living in vegetable mould, the larva of the + Anoxia, dwelling in the sand, and the larva of the Cockchafer in our + cultivated fields have not also acquired the faculty of walking on their + backs? In their galleries they follow the chimney-sweep's methods quite as + cleverly as the Cetonia-grub; to move forward they make valiant use of + their backs without yet having come to ambling with their bellies in the + air. Can they have neglected to accommodate themselves to the demands of + their environment? If evolution and environment cause the topsy-turvy + progress of the one, I have the right, if words have any meaning whatever, + to demand as much of the others, since their organization is so much alike + and their mode of life identical. + </p> + <p> + I have but little respect for theories which, when confronted with two + similar cases, are unable to interpret the one without contradicting the + other. They make me laugh when they become merely childish. For example: + why has the tiger a coat streaked black and yellow? A matter of + environment, replies one of our evolutionary masters. Ambushed in bamboo + thickets where the golden radiance of the sun is intersected by stripes of + shadow cast by the foliage, the animal, the better to conceal itself, + assumed the colour of its environment. The rays of the sun produced the + tawny yellow of the coat; the stripes of shadow added the black bars. + </p> + <p> + And there you have it. Any one who refuses to accept the explanation must + be very hard to please. I am one of these difficult persons. If it were a + dinner-table jest, made over the walnuts and the wine, I would willingly + sing ditto; but alas and alack, it is uttered without a smile, in a solemn + and magisterial manner, as the last word in science! Toussenel, in his + day, asked the naturalists an insidious question. (Alphonse Toussenel + (1803-1885), the author of a number of learned and curious works on + ornithology.—Translator's Note.) Why, he enquired, have Ducks a + little curly feather on the rump? No one, so far as I know, had an answer + for the teasing cross-examiner: evolution had not been invented then. In + our time the reason why would be forthcoming in a moment, as lucid and as + well-founded as the reason why of the tiger's coat. + </p> + <p> + Enough of childish nonsense. The Cetonia-grub walks on its back because it + has always done so. The environment does not make the animal; it is the + animal that is made for the environment. To this simple philosophy, which + is quite antiquated nowadays, I will add another, which Socrates expressed + in these words: + </p> + <p> + "What I know best is that I know nothing." + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 6. THE TACHYTES. + </h2> + <p> + The family of Wasps whose name I inscribe at the head of this chapter has + not hitherto, so far as I know, made much noise in the world. Its annals + are limited to methodical classifications, which make very poor reading. + The happy nations, men say, are those which have no history. I accept + this, but I also admit that it is possible to have a history without + ceasing to be happy. In the conviction that I shall not disturb its + prosperity, I will try to substitute the living, moving insect for the + insect impaled in a cork-bottomed box. + </p> + <p> + It has been adorned with a learned name, derived from the Greek Tachytes, + meaning rapidity, suddenness, speed. The creature's godfather, as we see, + had a smattering of Greek; its denomination is none the less unfortunate: + intended to instruct us by means of a characteristic feature, the name + leads us astray. Why is speed mentioned in this connection? Why a label + which prepares the mind for an exceptional velocity and announces a race + of peerless coursers? Nimble diggers of burrows and eager hunters the + Tachytes are, to be sure, but they are no better than a host of rivals. + Not the Sphex, nor the Ammophila, nor the Bembex, nor many another would + admit herself beaten in either flying or running. At the nesting-season, + all this tiny world of huntresses is filled with astounding activity. The + quality of a speedy worker being common to all, none can boast of it to + the exclusion of the rest. + </p> + <p> + Had I had a vote when the Tachytes was christened, I should have suggested + a short, harmonious, well-sounding name, meaning nothing else than the + thing meant. What better, for example, than the term Sphex? The ear is + satisfied and the mind is not corrupted by a prejudice, a source of error + to the beginner. I have not nearly as much liking for Ammophila, which + represents as a lover of the sands an animal whose establishments call for + compact soil. In short, if I had been forced, at all costs, to concoct a + barbarous appellation out of Latin or Greek in order to recall the + creature's leading characteristic, I should have attempted to say, a + passionate lover of the Locust. + </p> + <p> + Love of the Locust, in the broader sense of the Orthopteron, an exclusive, + intolerant love, handed down from mother to daughter with a fidelity which + the centuries fail to impair, this, yes, this indeed depicts the Tachytes + with greater accuracy than a name smacking of the race-course. The + Englishman has his roast-beef; the German his sauerkraut; the Russian his + caviare; the Neapolitan his macaroni; the Piedmontese his polenta; the man + of Carpentras his tian. The Tachytes has her Locust. Her national dish is + also that of the Sphex, with whom I boldly associate her. The methodical + classifier, who works in cemeteries and seems to fly the living cities, + keeps the two families far removed from each other because of + considerations and attaching to the nervures of the wings and the joints + of the palpi. At the risk of passing for a heretic, I bring them together + at the suggestion of the menu-card. + </p> + <p> + To my own knowledge, my part of the country possesses five species, one + and all addicted to a diet of Orthoptera. Panzer's Tachytes (T. Panzeri, + VAN DER LIND), girdled with red at the base of the abdomen, must be pretty + rare. I surprise her from time to time working on the hard roadside banks + and the trodden edges of the footpaths. There, to a depth of an inch at + most, she digs her burrows, each isolated from the rest. Her prey is an + adult, medium-sized Acridian (Locust or Grasshopper.—Translator's + Note.), such as the White-banded Sphex pursues. The captive of the one + would not be despised by the other. Gripped by the antennae, according to + the ritual of the Sphex, the victim is trailed along on foot and laid + beside the nest, with the head pointing towards the opening. The pit, + prepared in advance, is closed for the time being with a tiny flagstone + and some bits of gravel, in order to avoid either the invasion of a + passer-by or obstruction by landslips during the huntress' absence. A like + precaution is taken by the White-banded Sphex. Both observe the same diet + and the same customs. + </p> + <p> + The Tachytes clears the entrance to the home and goes in alone. She + returns, puts out her head and, seizing her prey by the antennae, + warehouses it by dragging backwards. I have repeated, at her expense, the + tricks which I used to play on the Sphex. (For the author's experiments + with the Languedocian, the Yellow-winged and the White-edged Sphex, cf. + "The Hunting Wasps": chapter 11.—Translator's Note.) While the + Tachytes is underground, I move the game away. The insect comes up again + and sees nothing at its door; it comes out and goes to fetch its Locust, + whom it places in position as before. This done, it goes in again by + itself. In its absence I once more pull back the prey. Fresh emergence of + the Wasp, who puts things to rights and persists in going down again, + still by herself, however often I repeat the experiment. Yet it would be + very easy for her to put an end to my teasing: she would only have to + descend straightway with her game, instead of leaving it for a moment on + her doorstep. But, faithful to the usages of her race, she behaves as her + ancestors behaved before her, even though the ancient custom happen to be + unprofitable. Like the Yellow-winged Sphex, whom I have teased so often + during her cellaring-operations, she is a narrow conservative, learning + nothing and forgetting nothing. + </p> + <p> + Let us leave her to do her work in peace. The Locust disappears + underground and the egg is laid upon the breast of the paralysed insect. + That is all: one carcase for each cell, no more. The entrance is stopped + at last, first with stones, which will prevent the trickling of the + embankment into the chamber; next with sweepings of dust, under which + every vestige of the subterranean house disappears. It is now done: the + Tachytes will come here no more. Other burrows will occupy her, + distributed at the whim of her vagabond humour. + </p> + <p> + A cell provisioned before my eyes on the 22nd of August, in one of the + walls in the harmas, contained the finished cocoon a week later. (The + harmas was the piece of enclosed waste land in which the author used to + study his insects in their natural state. Cf. "The Life of the Fly," by J. + Henri Fabre, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapter 1.—Translator's + Note.) I have not noted many examples of so rapid a development. This + cocoon recalls, in its shape and texture, that of the Bembex-wasps. It is + hard and mineralized, this is to say, the warp and woof of silk are hidden + by a thick encrustation of sand. This composite structure seems to me + characteristic of the family; at all events I find it in the three species + whose cocoons I know. If the Tachytes are nearly related to the Spheges in + diet, they are far removed from them in the industry of their larvae. The + first are workers in mosaic, encrusting a network of silk and sand; the + second weave pure silk. + </p> + <p> + Of smaller size and clad in black with trimmings of silvery down on the + edge of the abdominal segments, the Tarsal Tachytes frequents the ledges + of soft limestone in fairly populous colonies. (T. tarsina, LEP.) + (According to M. J. Perez, to whom I submitted the Wasp of which I am + about to speak, this Tachytes might well be a new species, if it is not + Lepelletier's T. tarsina or its equivalent, Panzer's T. unicolor. Any one + wishing to clear up this point will always recognize the quarrelsome + insect by its behaviour. A minute description seems useless to me in the + type of investigation which I am pursuing.—Author's Note.) August + and September are the season of her labours. Her burrows, very close to + one another when an easily-worked vein presents itself, afford an ample + harvest of cocoons once the site is discovered. In a certain gravel-pit in + the neighbourhood, with vertical walls visited by the sun, I have been + able within a short space of time to collect enough to fill the hollow of + my hand completely. They differ from the cocoons of the preceding species + only in their smaller size. The provisions consist of young Acridians, + varying from about a quarter to half an inch in length. The adult insect + does not appear in the assorted bags of game, being no doubt too tough for + the feeble grub. All the carcases consist of Locust-larvae, whose budding + wings leave the back uncovered and put one in mind of the short skirts of + a skimpy jacket. Small so that it may be tender, the game is numerous so + that it may suffice all needs. I count from two to four carcases to a + cell. When the time comes we will discover the reason for these + differences in the rations served. + </p> + <p> + The Mantis-killing Tachytes wears a red scarf, like her kinswoman, + Panzer's Tachytes. (The Mantis-hunting Tachytes was submitted to + examination by M. J. Perez, who failed to recognize her. This species may + well be new to our fauna. I confine myself to calling her the + Mantis-killing Tachytes and leave to the specialists the task of adorning + her with a Latin name, if it be really the fact that the Wasp is not yet + catalogued. I will be brief in my delineation. To my thinking the best + description is this: mantis-hunter. With this information it is impossible + to mistake the insect, in my district of course. I may add that it is + black, with the first two abdominal segments, the legs and the tarsi a + rusty red. Clad in the same livery and much smaller than the female, the + male is remarkable for his eyes, which are of a beautiful lemon-yellow + when he is alive. The length is nearly half an inch for the female and a + little more than half this for the male.—Author's Note.) I do not + think that she is very widely distributed. I made her acquaintance in the + Serignan woods, where she inhabits, or rather used to inhabit—for I + fear that I have depopulated and even destroyed the community by my + repeated excavations—where she used to inhabit one of those little + mounds of sand which the wind heaps up against the rosemary clumps. + Outside this small community, I never saw her again. Her history, rich in + incident, will be given with all the detail which it deserves. I will + confine myself for the moment to mentioning her rations, which consist of + Mantis-larvae, those of the Praying Mantis predominating. (Cf. "The Life + of the Grasshopper": chapters 6 to 9.—Translator's Note.) My lists + record from three to sixteen heads for each cell. Once again we note a + great inequality of rations, the reason for which we must try to discover. + </p> + <p> + What shall I say of the Black Tachytes (T. nigra, VAN DER LIND) that I + have not already said in telling the story of the Yellow-winged Sphex? + ("The Hunting Wasps": chapters 4 to 6.—Translator's Note.) I have + there described her contests with the Sphex, whose burrow she seems to me + to have usurped; I show her dragging along the ruts in the roads a + paralysed Cricket, seized by the hauling-ropes, his antennae; I speak of + her hesitations, which lead me to suspect her for a homeless vagabond, and + finally on her surrender of her game, with which she seems at once + satisfied and embarrassed. Save for the dispute with the Sphex, an unique + event in my records as observer, I have seen all the rest many a time, but + never anything more. The Black Tachytes, though the most frequent of all + in my neighbourhood, remains a riddle to me. I know nothing of her + dwelling, her larvae, her cocoons, her family-arrangements. All that I can + affirm, judging by the invariable nature of the prey which one sees her + dragging along, is that she must feed her larvae on the same non-adult + Cricket that the Yellow-winged Sphex chooses for hers. + </p> + <p> + Is she a poacher, a pillager of other's property, or a genuine huntress? + My suspicions are persistent, though I know how chary a man should be of + suspicions. At one time I had my doubts about Panzer's Tachytes, whom I + grudged a prey to which the White-banded Sphex might have laid claim. + To-day I have no such doubts: she is an honest worker and her game is + really the result of her hunting. While waiting for the truth to be + revealed and my suspicions set aside, I will complete the little that I + know of her by noting that the Black Tachytes passes the winter in the + adult form and away from her cell. She hibernates, like the Hairy + Ammophila. In warm, sheltered places, with low, perpendicular, bare banks, + dear to the Wasps, I am certain of finding her at any time during the + winter, however briefly I investigate the earthen surface, riddled with + galleries. I find the Tachytes cowering singly in the hot oven formed by + the end of a tunnel. If the temperature be mild and the sky clear, she + emerges from her retreat in January and February and comes to the surface + of the bank to see whether spring is making progress. When the shadows + fall and the heat decreases, she reenters her winter-quarters. + </p> + <p> + The Anathema Tachytes (T. anathema, VAN DER LIND), the giant of her race, + almost as large as the Languedocian Sphex and, like her, decorated with a + red scarf round the base of the abdomen, is rarer than any of her + congeners. I have come upon her only some four or five times, as an + isolated individual and always in circumstances which will tell us of the + nature of her game with a probability that comes very near to certainty. + She hunts underground, like the Scoliae. In September I see her go down + into the soil, which has been loosened by a recent light shower; the + movement of the earth turned over keeps me informed of her subterranean + progress. She is like the Mole, ploughing through a meadow in pursuit of + his White Worm. She comes out farther on, nearly a yard from the spot at + which she went in. This long journey underground has taken her only a few + minutes. + </p> + <p> + Is this due to extraordinary powers of excavation on her part? By no + means: the Anathema Tachytes is an energetic tunneller, no doubt, but, + after all, is incapable of performing so great a labour in so short a + time. If the underground worker is so swift in her progress, it is because + the track followed has already been covered by another. The trail is ready + prepared. We will describe it, for it is clearly defined before the + intervention of the Wasp. + </p> + <p> + On the surface of the ground, for a length of two paces at most, runs a + sinuous line, a beading of crumbled soil, roughly the width of my finger. + From this line of ramifications (others) shoot out to left and right, much + shorter and irregularly distributed. One need not be a great entomological + scholar to recognize, at the first glance, in these pads of raised earth, + the trail of a Mole-cricket, the Mole among insects. It is the + Mole-cricket who, seeking for a root to suit her, has excavated the + winding tunnel, with investigation-galleries grafted to either side of the + main road. The passage is free therefore, or at most blocked by a few + landslips, of which the Tachytes will easily dispose. This explains her + rapid journey underground. + </p> + <p> + But what does she do there? For she is always there, in the few + observations which chance affords me. A subterranean excursion would not + attract the Wasp if it had no object. And its object is certainly the + search for some sort of game for her larvae. The inference becomes + inevitable: the Anathema Tachytes, who explores the Mole-cricket's + galleries, gives her larvae this same Mole-cricket as their food. Very + probably the specimen selected is a young one, for the adult insect would + be too big. Besides, to this consideration of quantity is added that of + quality. Young and tender flesh is highly appreciated, as witness the + Tarsal Tachytes, the Black Tachytes and the Mantis-killing Tachytes, who + all three select game that is not yet made tough by age. It goes without + saying that the moment the huntress emerged from the ground I proceeded to + dig up the track. The Mole-cricket was no longer there. The Tachytes had + come too late; and so had I. + </p> + <p> + Well, how right was I to define the Tachytes as a Locust lover! What + constancy in the gastronomic rules of the race! And what tact in varying + the game, while keeping within the order of the Orthoptera! What have the + Locust, the Cricket, the Praying Mantis and the Mole-cricket in common, as + regards their general appearance? Why, absolutely nothing! None of us, if + he were unfamiliar with the delicate associations dictated by anatomy, + would think of classing them together. The Tachytes, on the other hand, + makes no mistake. Guided by her instinct, which rivals the science of a + Latreille, she groups them all together. (Pierre Andre Latreille + (1762-1833), one of the founders of entomological science, a professor at + the Musee d'histoire naturelle and member of the Academie des sciences.—Translator's + Note.) + </p> + <p> + This instinctive taxonomy becomes more surprising still if we consider the + variety of the game stored in a single burrow. The Mantis-killing + Tachytes, for instance, preys indiscriminately upon all the Mantides that + occur in her neighbourhood. I see her warehousing three of them, the only + varieties, in fact, that I know in my district. They are the following: + the Praying Mantis (M. religiosa, LIN.), the Grey Mantis (Ameles decolor, + CHARP. (Cf. "The Life of the Grasshopper": chapter 10.—Translator's + Note.)) and the Empusa (E. pauperata, LATR. (Cf. idem: chapter 9.—Translator's + Note.)). The numerical predominance in the Tachytes' cells belongs to the + Praying Mantis; and the Grey Mantis occupies second place. The Empusa, who + is comparatively rare on the brushwood in the neighbourhood, is also rare + in the store-houses of the Wasp; nevertheless her presence is repeated + often enough to show that the huntress appreciates the value of this prey + when she comes across it. The three sorts of game are in the larval state, + with rudimentary wings. Their dimensions, which vary a good deal, + fluctuate between two-fifths and four-fifths of an inch in length. + </p> + <p> + The Praying Mantis is a bright green; she boasts an elongated prothorax + and an alert gait. The other Mantis is ash-grey. Her prothorax is short + and her movements heavy. The coloration therefore is no guide to the + huntress, any more than the gait. The green and the grey, the swift and + the slow are unable to baffle her perspicacity. To her, despite the great + difference in appearance, the two victims are Mantes. And she is right. + </p> + <p> + But what are we to say of the Empusa? The insect world, at all events in + our parts, contains no more fantastic creature. The children here, who are + remarkable for finding names which really depict the animal, call the + larva "the Devilkin." It is indeed a spectre, a diabolical phantom worthy + of the pencil of a Callot. (Jacques Callot (1592-1635), the French + engraver and painter, famous for the grotesque nature of his subjects.—Translator's + Note.) There is nothing to beat it in the extravagant medley of figures in + his "Temptation of Saint Anthony." Its flat abdomen, scalloped at the + edges, rises into a twisted crook; its peaked head carries on the top two + large, divergent, tusk-shaped horns; its sharp, pointed face, which can + turn and look to either side, would fit the wily purpose of some + Mephistopheles; its long legs have cleaver-like appendages at the joints, + similar to the arm-pieces which the knights of old used to bear upon their + elbows. Perched high upon the shanks of its four hind-legs, with its + abdomen curled, its thorax raised erect, its front-legs, the traps and + implements of warfare, folded against its chest, it sways limply from side + to side, on the tip of the bough. + </p> + <p> + Any one seeing it for the first time in its grotesque pose will give a + start of surprise. The Tachytes knows no such alarm. If she catches sight + of it, she seizes it by the neck and stabs it. It will be a treat for her + children. How does she manage to recognize in this spectre the near + relation of the Praying Mantis? When frequent hunting-expeditions have + familiarized her with the last-named and suddenly, in the midst of the + chase, she encounters the Devilkin, how does she become aware that this + strange find makes yet another excellent addition to her larder? This + question, I fear, will never receive an adequate reply. Other huntresses + have already set us the problem; others will set it to us again. I shall + return to it, not to solve it, but to show even more plainly how obscure + and profound it is. But we will first complete the story of the + Mantis-killing Tachytes. + </p> + <p> + The colony which forms the subject of my investigations is established in + a mound of fine sand which I myself cut into, a couple of years ago, in + order to unearth a few Bembex larvae. The entrances to the Tachytes' + dwelling open upon the little upright bank of the section. At the + beginning of July the work is in full swing. It must have been going on + already for a week or two, for I find very forward larvae, as well as + recent cocoons. There are here, digging into the sand or returning from + expeditions with their booty, some hundred females, whose burrows, all + very close to one another, cover an area of barely a square yard. This + hamlet, small in extent, but nevertheless densely populated, shows us the + Mantis-slayer under a moral aspect which is not shared by the Locust + slayer, Panzer's Tachytes, who resembles her so closely in costume. Though + engaged in individual tasks, the first seeks the society of her kind, as + do certain of the Sphex-wasps, while the second establishes herself in + solitude, after the fashion of the Ammophila. Neither the personal form + nor the nature of the occupation determines sociability. + </p> + <p> + Crouching voluptuously in the sun, on the sand at the foot of the bank, + the males lie waiting for the females, to plague them as they pass. They + are ardent lovers, but cut a poor figure. Their linear dimensions are + barely half those of the other sex, which implies a volume only one-eighth + as great. At a short distance they appear to wear on their heads a sort of + gaudy turban. At close quarters this headgear is seen to consist of the + eyes, which are very large and a bright lemon-yellow and which almost + entirely surround the head. + </p> + <p> + At ten o'clock in the morning, when the heat begins to grow intolerable to + the observer, there is a continual coming and going between the burrows + and the tufts of grass, everlasting, thyme and wormwood, which constitute + the Tachytes' hunting-grounds within a moderate radius. The journey is so + short that the Wasp brings her game home on the wing, usually in a single + flight. She holds it by the fore-part, a very judicious precaution, which + is favourable to rapid stowage in the warehouse, for then the Mantis' legs + stretch backwards, along the axis of the body, instead of folding and + projecting sideways, when their resistance would be difficult to overcome + in a narrow gallery. The lanky prey dangles beneath the huntress, all + limp, lifeless and paralysed. The Tachytes, still flying, alights on the + threshold of the home and immediately, contrary to the custom of Panzer's + Tachytes, enters with her prey trailing behind her. It is not unusual for + a male to come upon the scene at the moment of the mother's arrival. He is + promptly snubbed. This is the time for work, not for amusement. The + rebuffed male resumes his post as a watcher in the sun; and the housewife + stows her provisions. + </p> + <p> + But she does not always do so without hindrance. Let me recount one of the + misadventures of this work of storage. There is in the neighbourhood of + the burrows a plant which catches insects with glue. It is the Oporto + silene (S. portensis), a curious growth, a lover of the sea-side dunes, + which, though of Portuguese origin, as its name would seem to indicate, + ventures inland, even as far as my part of the country, where it + represents perhaps a survivor of the coastal flora of what was once a + Pliocene sea. The sea has disappeared; a few plants of its shores have + remained behind. This Silene carries in most of its internodes, in those + both of the branches and of the main stalk, a viscous ring, two- to + four-fifths of an inch wide, sharply delimited above and below. The + coating of glue is of a pale brown. Its stickiness is so great that the + least touch is enough to hold the object. I find Midges, Plant-lice and + Ants caught in it, as well as tufted seeds which have blown from the + capitula of the Cichoriaceae. A Gad-fly, as big as a Blue bottle, falls + into the trap before my eyes. She has barely alighted on the perilous + perch when lo, she is held by the hinder tarsi! The Fly makes violent + efforts to take wing; she shakes the slender plant from top to bottom. If + she frees her hinder tarsi she remains snared by the front tarsi and has + to begin all over again. I was doubting the possibility of her escape + when, after a good quarter of an hour's struggle, she succeeded in + extricating herself. + </p> + <p> + But, where the Gad-fly has got off, the Midge remains. The winged Aphis + also remains, the Ant, the Mosquito and many another of the smaller + insects. What does the plant do with its captures? Of what use are these + trophies of corpses hanging by a leg or a wing? Does the vegetable + bird-limer, with its sticky rings, derive advantage from these + death-struggles? A Darwinian, remembering the carnivorous plants, would + say yes. As for me, I don't believe a word of it. The Oporto silene is + ringed with bands of gum. Why? I don't know. Insects are caught in these + snares. Of what use are they to the plant? Why, none at all; and that's + all about it. I leave to others, bolder than myself, the fantastic idea of + taking these annular exudations for a digestive fluid which will reduce + the captured Midges to soup and make them serve to feed the Silene. Only I + warn them that the insects sticking to the plant do not dissolve into + broth, but shrivel, quite uselessly, in the sun. + </p> + <p> + Let us return to the Tachytes, who is also a victim of the vegetable + snare. With a sudden flight, a huntress arrives, carrying her drooping + prey. She grazes the Silene's lime-twigs too closely. Behold the Mantis + caught by the abdomen. For twenty minutes at least the Wasp, still on the + wing, tugs at her, tugging again and again, to overcome the cause of the + hitch and release the spoil. The hauling-method, a continuation of the + flight, comes to nothing; and no other is attempted. At last the insect + wearies and leaves the Mantis hanging to the Silene. + </p> + <p> + Now or never was the moment for the intervention of that tiny glimmer of + reason which Darwin so generously grants to animals. Do not, if you + please, confound reason with intelligence, as people are too prone to do. + I deny the one; and the other is incontestable, within very modest limits. + It was, I said, the moment to reason a little, to discover the cause of + the hitch and to attack the difficulty at its source. For the Tachytes the + matter was of the simplest. She had but to grab the body by the skin of + the abdomen immediately above the spot caught by the glue and to pull it + towards her, instead of persevering in her flight without releasing the + neck. Simple though this mechanical problem was, the insect was unable to + solve it, because she was not able to trace the effect back to the cause, + because she did not even suspect that the stoppage had a cause. + </p> + <p> + Ants doting on sugar and accustomed to cross a foot-bridge in order to + reach the warehouse are absolutely prevented from doing so when the bridge + is interrupted by a slight gap. They would only need a few grains of sand + to fill the void and restore the causeway. They do not for a moment dream + of it, plucky navvies though they be, capable of raising miniature + mountains of excavated soil. We can get them to give us an enormous cone + of earth, an instinctive piece of work, but we shall never obtain the + juxtaposition of three grains of sand, a reasoned piece of work. The Ant + does not reason, any more than the Tachytes. + </p> + <p> + If you bring up a tame Fox and set his platter of food before him, this + creature of a thousand tricks confines himself to tugging with all his + might at the leash which keeps him a step or two from his dinner. He pulls + as the Tachytes pulls, exhausts himself in futile efforts and then lies + down, with his little eyes leering fixedly at the dish. Why does he not + turn round? This would increase his radius; and he could reach then the + food with his hind-foot and pull it towards him. The idea never occurs to + him. Yet another animal deprived of reason. + </p> + <p> + Friend Bull, my Dog, is no better-endowed, despite his quality as a + candidate for humanity. In our excursions through the woods, he happens to + get caught by the paw in a wire snare set for rabbits. Like the Tachytes, + he tugs at it obstinately and only pulls the noose tighter. I have to + release him when he does not himself succeed in snapping the wire by his + hard pulling. When he tries to leave the room, if the two leaves of the + door are just ajar, he contents himself with pushing his muzzle, like a + wedge, into the too narrow aperture. He moves forward, pushing in the + direction which he wishes to take. His simple, dog-like method has one + unfailing result: the two leaves of the door, when pushed, merely shut + still closer. It would be easy for him to pull one of them towards him + with his paw, which would make the passage wider; but this would be a + movement backward, contrary to his natural impulse; and so he does not + think of it. Yet another creature that does not reason. + </p> + <p> + The Tachytes, who stubbornly persists in tugging at her limed Mantis and + refuses to acknowledge any other method of wresting her from the Silene's + snare, shows us the Wasp in an unflattering light. What a very poor + intellect! The insect becomes only the more wonderful, therefore, when we + consider its supreme talent as an anatomist. Many a time I have insisted + upon the incomprehensible wisdom of instinct; I do so again at the risk of + repeating myself. An idea is like a nail: it is not to be driven in save + by repeated blows. By hitting it again and again, I hope to make it enter + the most rebellious brains. This time I shall attack the problem from the + other end, that is, I shall first allow human knowledge to have its say + and shall then interrogate the insect's knowledge. + </p> + <p> + The outward structure of the Praying Mantis would of itself be enough to + teach us the arrangement of the nerve-centres which the Tachytes has to + injure in order to paralyse its victim, which is destined to be devoured + alive but harmless. A narrow and very long prothorax divides the front + pair of legs from the two hinder pairs. There must therefore be an + isolated ganglion in front and two ganglia, close to each other, about + two-fifths of an inch back. Dissection confirms this forecast completely. + It shows us three fairly bulky thoracic ganglia, arranged in the same + manner as the legs. The first which actuates the fore-legs, is placed + opposite their roots. It is the largest of the three. It is also the most + important, for it presides over the insect's weapons, over the two + powerful arms, toothed like saws and ending in harpoons. The other two, + divided from the first by the whole length of the prothorax, each face the + origin of the corresponding legs; consequently they are very near each + other. Beyond them are the abdominal ganglia, which I pass over in + silence, as the operating insect does not have to trouble about them. The + movements of the belly are mere pulsations and are in no way dangerous. + </p> + <p> + Now let us do a little reasoning on behalf of our non-reasoning insect. + The sacrificer is weak; the victim is comparatively powerful. Three + strokes of the lancet must abolish all offensive movement. Where will the + first stroke be delivered? In front is a real engine of warfare, a pair of + powerful shears with toothed jaws. Let the fore-arm close upon the upper + arm; and the imprudent insect, crushed between the two saw-blades, will be + torn to pieces; wounded by the terminal hook, it will be eviscerated. This + ferocious mechanism is the great danger; it is this that must be mastered + at the outset, at the risk of life; the rest is less urgent. The first + blow of the stylet, cautiously directed, is therefore aimed at the lethal + fore-legs, which imperil the vivisector's own existence. Above all, there + must be no hesitation. The blow must be accurate then and there, or the + sacrificer will be caught in the vice and perish. The two other pairs of + legs present no danger to the operator, who might neglect them if she had + only her own security to think of; but the surgeon is operating with a + view to the egg, which demands complete immobility in the provisions. + Their centres of innervation will therefore be stabbed as well, with the + leisure which the Mantis, now put out of action, permits. These legs, as + well as their nervous centres, are situated very far behind the first + point attacked. There is a long neutral interval, that of the prothorax, + into which it is quite useless to drive the sting. This interval has to be + crossed; by a backward movement conforming with the secrets of the + victim's internal anatomy, the second ganglion must be reached and then + its neighbour, the third. In short, the surgical operation may be + formulated thus: a first stab of the lancet in front; a considerable + movement to the rear, measuring about two-fifths of an inch; lastly, two + lancet-thrusts at two points very close together. Thus speaks the science + of man; thus counsels reason, guided by anatomical structure. Having said + this much let us observe the insect's practice. + </p> + <p> + There is no difficulty about seeing the Tachytes operate in our presence; + we have only to resort to the method of substitution, which has already + done me so much service, that is, to deprive the huntress of her prey and + at once to give her, in exchange, a living Mantis of about the same size. + This substitution is impracticable with the majority of the Tachytes, who + reach the threshold of their dwelling in a single flight and at once + vanish underground with their game. A few of them, from time to time, + harassed perhaps by their burden, chance to alight at a short distance + from their burrow, or even drop their prey. I profit by these rare + occasions to witness the tragedy. + </p> + <p> + The dispossessed Wasp recognizes instantly, from the proud bearing of the + substituted Mantis, that she is no longer embracing and carrying off an + inoffensive carcase. Her hovering, hitherto silent, develops a buzz, + perhaps to overawe the victim; her flight becomes an extremely rapid + oscillation, always behind the quarry. It is as who should say the quick + movement of a pendulum swinging without a wire to hang from. The Mantis, + however, lifts herself boldly upon her four hind-legs; she raises the + fore-part of her body, opens, closes and again opens her shears and + presents them threateningly at the enemy; using a privilege which no other + insect shares, she turns her head this way and that, as we do when we look + over our shoulders; she faces her assailant, ready to strike a return blow + wheresoever the attack may come. It is the first time that I have + witnessed such defensive daring. What will be the outcome of it all? + </p> + <p> + The Wasp continues to oscillate behind the Mantis, in order to avoid the + formidable grappling-engine; then, suddenly, when she judges that the + other is baffled by the rapidity of her manoeuvres, she hurls herself upon + the insect's back, seizes its neck with her mandibles, winds her legs + round its thorax and hastily delivers a first thrust of the sting, to the + front, at the root of the lethal legs. Complete success! The deadly shears + fall powerless. The operator then lets herself slip as she might slide + down a pole, retreats along the Mantis' back and, going a trifle lower, + less than a finger's breadth, she stops and paralyses, this time without + hurrying herself, the two pairs of hind-legs. It is done: the patient lies + motionless; only the tarsi quiver, twitching in their last convulsions. + The sacrificer brushes her wings for a moment and polishes her antennae by + passing them through her mouth, an habitual sign of tranquillity returning + after the emotions of the conflict; she seizes the game by the neck, takes + it in her legs and flies away with it. + </p> + <p> + What do you say to it all? Do not the scientist's theory and the insect's + practice agree most admirably? Has not the animal accomplished to + perfection what anatomy and physiology enabled us to foretell? Instinct, a + gratuitous attribute, an unconscious inspiration, rivals knowledge, that + most costly acquisition. What strikes me most is the sudden recoil after + the first thrust of the sting. The Hairy Ammophila, operating on her + caterpillar, likewise recoils, but progressively, from one segment to the + next. Her deliberate surgery might receive a quasi-explanation if we + ascribe it to a certain uniformity. With the Tachytes and the Mantis this + paltry argument escapes us. Here are no lancet-pricks regularly + distributed; on the contrary, the operating-method betrays a lack of + symmetry which would be inconceivable, if the organization of the patient + did not serve as a guide. The Tachytes therefore knows where her prey's + nerve-centres lie; or, to speak more correctly, she behaves as though she + knew. + </p> + <p> + This science which is unconscious of itself has not been acquired, by her + and by her race, through experiments perfected from age to age and habits + transmitted from one generation to the next. It is impossible, I am + prepared to declare a hundred times, a thousand times over, it is + absolutely impossible to experiment and to learn an art when you are lost + if you do not succeed at the first attempt. Don't talk to me of atavism, + of small successes increasing by inheritance, when the novice, if he + misdirected his weapon, would be crushed in the trap of the two saws and + fall a prey to the savage Mantis! The peaceable Locust, if missed, + protests against the attack with a few kicks; the carnivorous Mantis, who + is in the habit of feasting on Wasps far more powerful than the Tachytes, + would protest by eating the bungler; the game would devour the hunter, an + excellent catch. Mantis-paralysing is a most perilous trade and admits of + no half-successes; you have to excel in it from the first, under pain of + death. No, the surgical art of the Tachytes is not an acquired art. Whence + then does it come, if not from the universal knowledge in which all things + move and have their being! + </p> + <p> + What would happen if, in exchange for her Praying Mantis, I were to give + the Tachytes a young Grasshopper? In rearing insects at home, I have + already noted that the larvae put up very well with this diet; and I am + surprised that the mother does not follow the example of the Tarsal + Tachytes and provide her family with a skewerful of Locusts instead of the + risky prey which she selects. The diet would be practically the same; and + the terrible shears would no longer be a danger. With such a patient would + her operating-method remain the same; should we again see a sudden recoil + after the first stab under the neck; or would the vivisector modify her + art in conformity with the unfamiliar nervous organization? + </p> + <p> + This second alternative is highly improbable. It would be nonsense to + expect to see the paralyser vary the number and the distribution of the + wounds according to the genus of the victim. Supremely skilled in the task + that has fallen to its lot, the insect knows nothing further. + </p> + <p> + The first alternative seems to offer a certain chance and deserves a test. + I offer the Tachytes, deprived of her Mantis, a small Grasshopper, whose + hind-legs I amputate to prevent his leaping. The disabled Acridian jogs + along the sand. The Wasp flies round him for a moment, casts a + contemptuous glance upon the cripple and withdraws without attempting + action. Let the prey offered be large or small, green or grey, short or + long, rather like the Mantis or quite different, all my efforts miscarry. + The Tachytes recognizes in an instant that this is no business of hers; + this is not her family game; she goes off without even honouring my + Grasshoppers with a peck of her mandibles. + </p> + <p> + This stubborn refusal is not due to gastronomical causes. I have stated + that the larvae reared by my own hands feed on young Grasshoppers as + readily as on young Mantes; they do not seem to perceive any difference + between the two dishes; they thrive equally on the game chosen by me and + that selected by the mother. If the mother sets no value on the + Grasshopper, what then can be the reason of her refusal? I can see only + one: this quarry, which is not hers, perhaps inspires her with fear, as + any unknown thing might do; the ferocious Mantis does not alarm her, but + the peaceable Grasshopper terrifies her. And then, if she were to overcome + her apprehensions, she does not know how to master the Acridian and, above + all, how to operate upon him. To every man his trade, to every Wasp her + own way of wielding her sting. Modify the conditions ever so slightly; and + these skilful paralysers are at an utter loss. + </p> + <p> + To every insect also its own art of fashioning the cocoon, an art which + varies greatly, an art in which the larva displays all the resources of + its instincts. The Tachytes, the Bembeces, the Stizi, the Palari and other + burrowers build composite cocoons, hard as fruit-stones, formed of an + encrustation of sand in a network of silk. We are already acquainted with + the work of the Bembex. I will recall the fact that their larva first + weaves a conical, horizontal bag of pure white silk, with wide meshes, + held in place by interlaced threads which fix it to the walls of the cell. + I have compared this bag, because of its shape, with a fishtrap. Without + leaving this hammock, stretching its neck through the orifice, the worker + gathers from without a little heap of sand, which it stores inside its + workshop. Then, selecting the grains one by one, it encrusts them all + around itself in the fabric of the bag and cements them with the fluid + from its spinnerets, which hardens at once. When this task is finished, + the house has still to be closed, for it has been wide open all this time + to permit of the renewal of the store of sand as the heap inside becomes + exhausted. For this purpose a cap of silk is woven across the opening and + finally encrusted with the materials which the larva has retained at its + disposal. + </p> + <p> + The Tachytes builds in quite another fashion, although its work, once + finished, does not differ from that of the Bembex. The larva surrounds + itself, to begin with, about the middle of its body with a silken girdle + which a number of threads, very irregularly distributed, hold in place and + connect with the walls of the cell. Sand is collected, within reach of the + worker, on this general scaffolding. Then begins the work of minor + masonry, with grains of sand for rubble and the secretion of the + spinnerets for cement. The first course is laid upon the fore-edge of the + suspensory ring. When the circle is completed, a second course of grains + of sand, stuck together by the fluid silk, is raised upon the hardened + edge of what has just been done. Thus the work proceeds, by ring-shaped + courses, laid edge to edge, until the cocoon, having acquired half of its + proper length, is rounded into a cap and finally is closed. The + building-methods of the Tachytes-larva remind me of a mason constructing a + round chimney, a narrow tower of which he occupies the centre. Turning on + his own axis and using the materials placed to his hand, he encloses + himself little by little in his sheath of masonry. In the same way the + worker encloses itself in its mosaic. To build the second half of the + cocoon, the larva turns round and builds in the same way on the other edge + of the original ring. In about thirty-six hours the solid shell is + completed. + </p> + <p> + I am rather interested to see the Bembex and the Tachytes, two workers in + the same guild, employ such different methods to achieve the same result. + The first begins by weaving an eel-trap of pure silk and next encrusts the + grains of sand inside; the second, a bolder architect, is economical of + the silk envelope, confines itself to a hanging girdle and builds course + by course. The building-materials are the same: sand and silk; the + surroundings amid which the two artisans work are the same: a cell in a + soil of sandy gravel; yet each of the builders possesses its individual + art, its own plan, its one method. + </p> + <p> + The nature of the food has no more effect upon the larva's talents than + the environment in which it lives or the materials employed. The proof of + this is furnished by Stiza ruficornis, another builder of cocoons in + grains of sand cemented with silk. This sturdy Wasp digs her burrows in + soft sandstone. Like the Mantis-killing Tachytes, she hunts the various + Mantides of the countryside, consisting mainly of the Praying Mantis; only + her large size requires them to be more fully developed, without however + having attained the form and the dimensions of the adult. She places three + to five of them in each cell. + </p> + <p> + In solidity and volume her cocoon rivals that of the largest Bembex; but + it differs from it, at first sight, by a singular feature of which I know + no other example. From the side of the shell, which is uniformly smoothed + on every side, a rough knob protrudes, a little clod of sand stuck on to + the rest. The work of Stizus ruficornis can at once be recognized, among + all the other cocoons of a similar nature, by this protuberance. + </p> + <p> + Its origin will be explained by the method which the larva follows in + constructing its strong-box. At the beginning, a conical bag is woven of + pure white silk; you might take it for the initial eel-trap of the + Bembeces, only this bag has two openings, a very wide one in front and + another, very narrow one at the side. Through the front opening the Stizus + provides itself with sand as and when it spends this material on + encrusting the interior. This strengthens the cocoon; and the cap which + closes it is made next. So far it is exactly like the work of the Bembex. + We now have the worker enclosed, engaged in perfecting the inner wall. For + these final touches a little more sand is needed. It obtains it from + outside by means of the aperture which it has taken the precaution of + contriving in the side of its building, a narrow dormer-window just large + enough to allow its slender neck to pass. When the store has been taken + in, this accessory orifice, which is used only during the last few + moments, is closed with a mouthful of mortar, thrust outward from within. + This forms the irregular nipple which projects from the side of the shell. + </p> + <p> + For the present I shall not expatiate further upon Stizus ruficornis, + whose complete biography would be out of place in this chapter. I will + limit myself to mentioning its method of constructing strong-boxes in + order to compare it with that of the Bembex and above all with that of the + Tachytes, a consumer, like itself, of Praying Mantes. From this parallel + it seems to me to follow that the conditions of life in which men see + to-day the origin of instincts—the type of food, the surroundings + amid which the larval life is passed, the materials available for a + defensive wrapper and other factors which the evolutionists are accustomed + to invoke—have no actual influence upon the larva's industry. My + three architects in glued sand, even when all the conditions, down to the + nature of the provisions, are the same, adopt different means to execute + an identical task. They are engineers who have not graduated from the same + school, who have not been educated on the same principles, though the + lesson of things is almost the same for all of them. The workshop, the + work, the provisions have not determined the instinct. The instinct comes + first; it lays down laws instead of being subject to them. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 7. CHANGE OF DIET. + </h2> + <p> + Brillat-Savarin, when pronouncing his famous maxim, "Tell me what you eat + and I will tell you what you are," certainly never suspected the signal + confirmation which the entomological world would bestow upon his saying. + Our gastrosopher was speaking only of the culinary caprices of man + rendered fastidious by the sweets of life; but he might, in a more serious + department of thought, have given his formula a wider and more general + bearing and applied it to the dishes which vary so greatly according to + latitude, climate and customs; he might above all have taken into his + reckoning the harsh realities suffered by the common people, when perhaps + his ideal of moral worth would have been found in a platter of chick-peas + oftener than in a pot of pate de foie gras. No matter: his aphorism, the + mere whimsical sally of an epicure, becomes an imperious truth if we + forget the luxury of the table and look into what is eaten by the little + world which swarms around us. + </p> + <p> + To each its mess. The cabbage Pieris consumes the pungent leaves of the + Cruciferae as the food of her infancy; the Silkworm disdains any foliage + other than that of the mulberry-tree. The Spurge Hawk-moth requires the + caustic milk-sap of the tithymals: the Corn-weevil the grain of wheat; the + Pea-weevil, the seeds of the Leguminosae; the Balaninus (A genus of + Beetles including the Acorn-weevil, the Nut-weevil and others.—Translator's + Note.) the hazel-nut, the chestnut, the acorn; the Brachycera (A division + of Flies including the Gad-flies and Robber-flies.—Translator's + Note.) the clove of garlic. Each has its diet, each its plant; and each + plant has its customary guests. Their relations are so precise that in + many cases one might determine the insect by the vegetable which supports + it, or the vegetable by the insect. + </p> + <p> + If you know the lily, you may name as a Crioceris the tiny scarlet + Scarabaeid that inhabits it and peoples its leaves with larvae which keep + themselves cool beneath an overcoat of ordure. (For the Lily-beetle, or + Crioceris merdigera, cf. "The Glow-worm and Other Beetles," by J. Henri + Fabre, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapters 16 and 17.—Translator's + Note.) If you know the Crioceris, you may name as a lily the plant which + she devastates. It will not perhaps be the common or white lily, but some + other representative of the same family—Turk's cap lily, orange + lily, scarlet Martagon, lancifoliate lily, tiger-spotted lily, golden lily—hailing + from the Alps or the Pyrenees, or brought from China or Japan. Relying on + the Crioceris, who is an expert judge of exotic as well as of native + Liliaceae, you may name as a lily the plant with which you are + unacquainted and trust the word of this singular botanical master. Whether + the flower be red, yellow, ruddy-brown or sown with crimson spots, + characteristics so unlike the immaculate whiteness of the familiar flower, + do not hesitate, adopt the name dictated by the Beetle. Where man is + liable to mistake the insect is never mistaken. + </p> + <p> + This insect botany, a cause of such grievous tribulations, has always + impressed the worker in the fields, who for all that, is a very + indifferent observer. The man who was the first to see his cabbage-plot + devastated by caterpillars made the acquaintance of the Pieris. Science + completed the process, in its desire to serve a useful purpose or merely + to seek truth for truth's sake; and to-day the relations between the + insect and the plant form a collection of records as important from the + philosophical as from the practical, agricultural point of view. What is + much less familiar to us, because it touches us less nearly, is the + zoology of the insect, that is to say, the selection which it makes, to + feed its larva, of this or that animal species, to the exclusion of + others. The subject is so vast that a volume were not sufficient to + exhaust it; besides, data are lacking in the vast majority of cases. It is + reserved for a still very distant future to raise this point of biology to + the level already reached by the question of vegetable diet. It will be + enough if I contribute a few observations scattered through my writings or + my notes. + </p> + <p> + What does the Wasp addicted to a predatory life eat, of course in the + larval state? Now, to begin with, we see natural sections which adopt as + their prey different species of one and the same order, in one and the + same group. Thus the Ammophilae hunt exclusively the larvae of the + night-flying Moths. This taste is shared by the Eumenes, a very different + genus. (Cf. "The Mason-wasps" by J. Henri Fabre, translated by Alexander + Teixeira de Mattos: chapter 1.—Translator's Note.) The Spheges and + Tachytes are addicted to Orthoptera; the Cerceres, apart from a few + exceptions, are faithful to the Weevil; both the Philanthi and the Palari + capture only Hymenoptera; the Pompili specialize in hunting the Spider; + the Astata revels in the flavour of Bugs; the Bembeces want Flies and + nothing else; the Scoliae enjoy the monopoly of the Lamellicorn-grubs; the + Pelopaei favour the young Epeirae (Or Garden Spiders. Cf. "The Life of the + Spider": chapters 9 to 14 and appendix.—Translator's Note.), the + Stizi vary in opinion: of the two in my neighbourhood, one, S. ruficornis, + fills her larder with Mantes and the other, S. tridentatus, fills it with + Cicadellae (Cf. "The Life of the Grasshopper": chapter 20.—Translator's + Note.); lastly, the Crabronidae (Any Flies akin to the House-fly.—Translator's + Note.). levy tribute upon the rabble of the Muscidae. (Hornets.—Translator's + Note.) + </p> + <p> + Already you see what a magnificent classification of these game-hunters + might be made with a faithfully listed bill of fare. Natural groups stand + out, characterized merely by the identity of their victuals. I trust that + the methodical science of the future will take account of these + gastronomic laws, to the great relief of the entomological novice, who is + too often hampered by the snares of the mouth-parts, the antennae and the + nervures of the wings. I call for a classification in which the insect's + aptitudes, its diet, its industry and its habits shall take precedence of + the shape of a joint in its antennae. It will come; but when? + </p> + <p> + If from generalities we descend to details, we shall see that the very + species may, in many instances, be determined from the nature of its + victuals. The number of burrows of Philanthus apivorus which I have + inspected since I have been rummaging the hot roadside embankments, to + enquire into their population, would seem hyperbolical were I able to + state the figures. (For the Bee-eating Philanthus cf. Chapter 10 of the + present volume.—Translator's Note.) They must amount, it seems to + me, to thousands. Well, in this multitude of food-stores, whether recent + or ancient, uncovered for a purpose or encountered by chance, I have not + once, not as often as once, discovered other remains than those of the + Hive-bee: the imperishable wings, still connected in pairs, the cranium + and thorax enveloped in a violet shroud, the winding-sheet which time + throws over these relics. To-day as when I was a beginner, ever so long + ago; in the north as in the south of the country which I explored; in + mountainous regions as on the plains, the Philanthus follows an unvarying + diet: she must have the Hive-bee, always the Bee and never any other, + however closely various other kinds of game resemble the Bee in quality. + If, therefore, when exploring sunny banks, you find beneath the soil a + small parcel of mutilated Bees, that will be enough to point to the + existence of a local colony of Philanthus apivorus. She alone knows the + recipe for making potted Bee-meat. The Crioceris was but now teaching us + all about the lily family; and here the mildewed body of the Bee tells us + of the Philanthus and her lair. + </p> + <p> + Similarly the female Ephippiger helps us to identify the Languedocian + Sphex: her relics, the cymbals and the long sabre, are the unmistakable + sign of the cocoon to which they adhere. The black Cricket, with his + red-braided thighs, is the infallible label of the Yellow-winged Sphex; + the larva of Oryctes nasicornis tells us of the Garden Scolia as certainly + as the best description; the Cetonia-grub proclaims the Two-banded Scolia + and the larva of the Anoxia announces the Interrupted Scolia. + </p> + <p> + After these exclusive ones, who disdain to vary their meals, let us + mention the eclectics, who, in a group which is generally well-defined, + are able to select among different kinds of game appropriate to their + bulk. The Great Cerceris (Cerceris tuberculata. Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": + chapters 2 and 3.—Translator's Note.) favours above all Cleonus + ophthalmicus, one of the largest of our Weevils; but at need she accepts + the other Cleoni, as well as the kindred genera, provided that the capture + be of an imposing size. Cerceris arenaria (Cf. idem: chapter 1.—Translator's + Note.) extends her hunting-grounds farther afield: any Weevil of average + dimensions is to her a welcome capture. The Buprestis-hunting Cerceris + adopts all the Buprestes indiscriminately, so long as they are not beyond + her strength. The Crowned Philanthus (P. coronatus, FAB.) fills her + underground warehouses with Halicti chosen among the biggest. (Cf. + "Bramble-bees and Others" by J. Henri Fabre, translated by Alexander + Teixeira de Mattos: chapters 12 to 14.—Translator's Note.) Much + smaller than her kinswoman, Philanthus raptor, LEP., stores away Halicti + chosen among the less large species. Any adult Acridian approaching an + inch in length suits the White-banded Sphex. The various tidae of the + neighbourhood are admitted to the larder of Stizus ruficornis and of the + Mantis-hunting Tachytes on the sole condition of being young and tender. + The largest of our Bembeces (B. rostrata, FAB., and B. bidentata, VAN DER + LIND (For the Rostrate Bembex and the Two-pronged Bembex, cf. "The Hunting + Wasps": chapter 14.—Translator's Note.)) are eager consumers of + Gad-flies. With these chief dishes they associate relishes levied + indifferently from the rest of the Fly clan. The Sandy Ammophila (A. + sabulosa, VAN DER LIND (Cf. idem: chapter 13.—Translator's Note.)) + and the Hairy Ammophila (A. hirsuta, KIRB.) cram into each burrow a single + but corpulent caterpillar, always of the Moth tribe and varying greatly in + coloration, which denotes distinct species. The Silky Ammophila (A. + holosericea, VAN DER LIND. (Cf. idem: chapter 14.—Translator's + Note.)) has a better assorted diet. She requires for each banqueter three + or four items, which include the Measuring-worms, or Loopers, and the + caterpillars of ordinary Moths, all of which are equally appreciated. The + Brown-winged Solenius (S. fascipennis, LEP.), who elects to dwell in the + soft dead wood of old willow-trees, has a marked preference for Virgil's + Bee, Eristalis tenax (Actually the Common Drone-fly and somewhat + resembling a Bee in appearance. Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapter 14.—Translator's + Note.), willingly adding, sometimes as a side-dish, sometimes as the + principal game, Helophilus pendulus, whose costume is very different. On + the faith of indistinguishable remains, we must no doubt enter a number of + other Flies in her game-book. The Golden-mouthed Hornet (Crabro + chrysostomus, LEP.) another burrower in old willow-trees, prefers the + Syrphi, without distinction of species. (The Syrphi, like the Eristales, + resemble Bees through having the abdomen transversely banded with yellow.—Translator's + Note.) The Wandering Solenius (S. vagus, LEP. (For this Fly-hunting insect + cf. "Bramble-bees and Others": chapters 1 and 3.—Translator's + Note.)), an inmate of the dry bramble-stems and of the dwarf-elder, lays + under contribution for her larder the genera Syritta, Sphaerophoria, + Sarcophaga, Syrphus, Melanophora, Paragus and apparently many others. The + species which recurs most frequently in my notes is Syritta pipiens. + </p> + <p> + Without pursuing this tedious list any farther, we plainly perceive the + general result. Each huntress has her characteristic tastes, so much so + that, when we know the bill of fare, we can tell the genus and very often + the species of the guest, thus proving the proud truth of the maxim, "Tell + me what you eat and I will tell you what you are." + </p> + <p> + There are some which always need the same prey. The offspring of the + Languedocian Sphex religiously consume the Ephippiger, that family dish so + dear to their ancestors and no less dear to their descendants; no + innovation in the ancient usages can tempt them. Others are better suited + by variety, for reasons connected with flavour or with facility of supply; + but then the selection of the game is kept within fixed limits. A natural + group, a genus, a family, more rarely almost a whole order: this is the + hunting-ground beyond which poaching is strictly forbidden. The law is + absolute; and one and all scrupulously refrain from transgressing it. + </p> + <p> + In the place of the Praying Mantis, offer the Mantis-hunting Tachytes an + equivalent in the shape of a Locust. She will scorn the morsel, though it + would seem to be of excellent flavour, seeing that Panzer's Tachytes + prefers it to any other form of game. Offer her a young Empusa, who + differs so widely from the Mantis in shape and colour: she will accept + without hesitation and operate before your eyes. Despite its fantastic + appearance, the Devilkin is instantly recognized by the Tachytes as a + Mantid and therefore as game falling within her scope. + </p> + <p> + In exchange for her Cleonus, give to the Great Cerceris a Buprestis, the + delight of one of her near kinsfolk. She will have nothing to say to the + sumptuous dish. Accept that! She, a Weevil-eater! Never in this world! + Present her with a Cleonus of a different species, or any other large + Weevil, of a sort which she has most probably never seen before, since it + does not figure on the inventory of the provisions in her burrows. This + time there is no show of disdain: the victim is seized and stabbed in the + regulation manner and forthwith stored away. + </p> + <p> + Try to persuade the Hairy Ammophila that Spiders have a nutty flavour, as + Lalande asserts; and you will see how coldly your hints are received. + (Joseph Jerome Le Francois de Lalande (1732-1807), the astronomer. Even + after he had achieved his reputation, he sought means, outside the domain + of science, to make himself talked about and found these in the display + partly of odd tastes, such as that for eating Spiders and caterpillars, + and partly of atheistical opinions.—Translator's Note.) Try merely + to convince her that the caterpillar of a Butterfly is as good to eat as + the caterpillar of a Moth. You will not succeed. But, if you substitute + for her underground larva, which I suppose to be grey, another underground + larva striped with black, yellow, rusty-red or any other tint, this change + of coloration will not prevent her from recognizing, in the substituted + dish, a victim to her liking, an equivalent of her Grey Worm. + </p> + <p> + So with the rest, so far as I have been able to experiment with them. Each + obstinately refuses what is alien to her hunting-preserves, each accepts + whatever belongs to them, always provided that the game substituted is + much the same in size and development as that whereof the owner has been + deprived. Thus the Tarsal Tachytes, an appreciative epicure of tender + flesh, would not consent to replace her pinch of young Acridian-grubs with + the one big Locust that forms the food of Panzer's Tachytes; and the + latter, in her turn, would never exchange her adult Acridian for the + other's menu of small fry. The genus and the species are the same, but the + age differs; and this is enough to decide the question of acceptance or + refusal. + </p> + <p> + When its depredations cover a somewhat extensive group, how does the + insect manage to recognize the genera, the species composing her allotted + portion and to distinguish them from the rest with an assured vision which + the inventory of her burrows proves never to be at fault? Is it the + general appearance that guides her? No, for in some Bembex-burrows we + shall find Sphaerophoriae, those slender, thong-like creatures, and + Bombylii, looking like velvet pincushions; no again, for in the pits of + the Silky Ammophila we shall see, side by side, the caterpillar of the + ordinary shape and the Measuring-worm, a living pair of compasses which + progresses by alternately opening out and closing; no, once more, for in + the storerooms of Stizus ruficornis and the Mantis-hunting Tachytes we see + stacked beside the Mantis the Empusa, her unrecognizable caricature. + </p> + <p> + Is it the colouring? Not at all. There is no lack of instances. What a + variety of hues and metallic reflections, distributed in a host of + different fashions, appear in the Buprestes that are hunted by the + Cerceris celebrated by Leon Dufour. (Jean Marie Leon Dufour (1780-1865) + was an army surgeon who served with distinction in several campaigns and + subsequently practised as a doctor in the Landes. He attained great + eminence as a naturalist. Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapter 1; also "The + Life of the Spider": chapter 1.—Translator's Note.) A painter's + palette, containing crushed gold, bronze, ruby and amethyst, would find it + difficult to rival these sumptuous colours. Nevertheless the Cerceris + makes no mistake: all this nation of insects, so indifferently attired, + represents to her, as to the entomologist, the nation of the Buprestes. + The inventory of the Hornet's larder will include Diptera clad in grey or + russet frieze; others are girdled with yellow, flecked with white, adorned + with crimson lines; others are steel-blue, ebony black, or coppery green; + and underneath this variety of dissimilar costumes we find the invariable + Fly. + </p> + <p> + Let us take a concrete example. Ferrero's Cerceris (C. Ferreri, VAN DER + LIND) consumes Weevils. Her burrows are usually lined with Phynotomi and + Sitones both an indeterminate grey, and Otiorhynchi, black or + tan-coloured. Now I have sometimes happened to unearth from her cells a + collection of veritable jewels which, thanks to their bright metallic + lustre, made a most striking contrast with the sombre Otiorhynchus. These + were the Rhynchites (R. betuleti), who roll the vine-leaves into cigars. + Equally magnificent, some of them were azure blue, others copper gilt, for + the cigar-roller has a twofold colouring. How did the Cerceris manage to + recognize in these jewels the Weevil, the near relative of the vulgar + Phynotomus? Any such encounters probably found her lacking in expert + knowledge; her race cannot have handed down to her other than very + indeterminate propensities, for she does not appear to make frequent use + of the Rhynchites, as is proved by my infrequent discovery of them amid + the mass of my numerous excavations. For the first time, perhaps, passing + through a vineyard, she saw the rich Beetle gleaming on a leaf; it was not + for her a dish in current consumption, consecrated by the ancient usages + of the family. It was something novel, exceptional, extraordinary. Well, + this extraordinary creature is recognized with certainty as a Weevil and + stored away as such. The glittering cuirass of the Rhynchites goes to take + its place beside the grey cloak of the Phynotomus. No, it is not the + colour that guides the choice. + </p> + <p> + Neither is it the shape. Cerceris arenaria hunts any medium-sized Weevil. + I should be putting the reader's patience to too great a test if I + attempted to give in this place a complete inventory of the specimens + identified in her larder. I will mention only two, which my latest + searches around my village have revealed. The Wasp goes hunting on the + holm-oaks of the neighbouring hills the Pubescent Brachyderes (B. + pubescens) and the Acorn-weevil (Balaninus glandium). What have these two + Beetles in common as regards shape? I mean by shape not the structural + details which the classifier examines through his magnifying-glass, not + the delicate features which a Latreille would quote when drawing up a + technical description, but the general picture, the general outline that + impresses itself upon the vision even of an untrained eye and makes the + man who knows nothing of science and above all the child, a most + perspicacious observer, connect certain animals together. + </p> + <p> + In this respect, what have the Brachyderes and the Balaninus in common in + the eyes of the townsman, the peasant, the child or the Cerceris? + Absolutely nothing. The first has an almost cylindrical figure; the + second, squat, short and thickset, is conical in front and elliptical, or + rather shaped like the ace of hearts, behind. The first is black, strewn + with cloudy, mouse-grey spots; the second is yellow ochre. The head of the + first ends in a sort of snout; the head of the second tapers into a curved + beak, slender as a horse-hair and as long as the rest of the body. The + Brachyderes has a massive proboscis, cut off short; the Balaninus seems to + be smoking an insanely long cigarette-holder. + </p> + <p> + Who would think of connecting two creatures so unlike, of calling them by + the same name? Outside the professional classifiers, no one would dare to. + The Cerceris, more perspicacious, knows each of them for a Weevil, a + quarry with a concentrated nervous system, lending itself to the surgical + feat of her single stroke of the lancet. After obtaining an abundant booty + at the cost of the blunt-mouthed insect, with which she sometimes stuffs + her cellars to the exclusion of any other fare, according to the hazards + of the chase, she now suddenly sees before her the creature with the + extravagant proboscis. Accustomed to the first, will she fail to know the + second? By no means: at the first glance she recognizes it as her own; and + the cell already furnished with a few Brachyderes receives its complement + of Balanini. If these two species are to seek, if the burrows are far from + the holm-oaks, the Cerceris will attack Weevils displaying the greatest + variety of genus, species, form and coloration, levying tribute + indifferently on Sitones, Cneorhini, Geonemi, Otiorhynchi, Strophosomi and + many others. + </p> + <p> + In vain do I rack my brains merely to guess at the signs upon which the + huntress relies as a guide, without going outside one and the same group, + in the midst of such a variety of game; above all by what characteristics + she recognizes as a Weevil the strange Acorn Balaninus, the only one among + her victims that wears a long pipe-stem. I leave to evolutionism, atavism + and other transcendental "isms" the honour and also the risk of explaining + what I humbly recognize as being too far beyond my grasp. Because the son + of the bird-catcher who imitates the call of his victims has been fed on + roast Robins, Linnets and Chaffinches, shall we hastily conclude that this + education through the stomach will enable him later, without other + initiation than that of the spit, to know his way about the ornithological + groups and to avoid confusing them when his turn comes to set his limed + twigs? Will the digesting of a ragout of little birds, however often + repeated by him or his ascendants, suffice to make him a finished + bird-catcher? The Cerceris has eaten Weevil; her ancestors have all eaten + Weevil, religiously. If you see in this the reason that makes the Wasp a + Weevil-expert endowed with a perspicacity unrivalled save by that of a + professional entomologist, why should you refuse to admit that the same + consequences would follow in the bird-catcher's family? + </p> + <p> + I hasten to abandon these insoluble problems in order to attack the + question of provisions from another point of view. Every Hunting Wasp is + confined to a certain genus of game, which is usually strictly limited. + She pursues her appointed quarry and regards anything outside it with + suspicion and distaste. The tricks of the experimenter, who drags her prey + from under her and flings her another in exchange, the emotions of the + possessor deprived of her property and immediately recovering it, but + under another form, are powerless to put her on the wrong scent. + Obstinately she refuses whatever is alien to her portion; instantly she + accepts whatever forms part of it. Whence arises this insuperable + repugnance for provisions to which the family is unaccustomed? Here we may + appeal to experiment. Let us do so: its dictum is the only one that can be + trusted. + </p> + <p> + The first idea that presents itself and the only one, I think, that can + present itself is that the larva, the carnivorous nurseling, has its + preferences, or we had better say its exclusive tastes. This kind of game + suits it; that does not; and the mother provides it with food in + conformity with its appetites, which are unchangeable in each species. + Here the family dish is the Gad-fly; elsewhere it is the Weevil; elsewhere + again it is the Cricket, the Locust and the Praying Mantis. Good in + themselves, in a general way, these several victuals may be noxious to a + consumer who is not used to them. The larva which dotes on Locust may find + caterpillar a detestable fare; and that which revels in caterpillar may + hold Locust in horror. It would be hard for us to discover in what manner + Cricket-flesh and Ephippiger-flesh differ as juicy, nourishing foodstuffs; + but it does not follow that the two Sphex-wasps addicted to this diet have + not very decided opinions on the matter, or that each of them is not + filled with the highest esteem for its traditional dish and a profound + dislike for the other. There is no discussing tastes. + </p> + <p> + Moreover, the question of health may well be involved. There is nothing to + tell us that the Spider, that treat for the Pompilus, is not poison, or at + least unwholesome food, to the Bembex, the lover of Gad-flies; that the + Ammophila's succulent caterpillar is not repugnant to the stomach of the + Sphex fed upon the dry Acridian. The mother's esteem for one kind of game + and her distrust of another would in that case be due to the likes and + dislikes of her larvae; the victualler would regulate the bill of fare by + the gastronomic demands of the victualled. + </p> + <p> + This exclusiveness of the carnivorous larva seems all the more probable + inasmuch as the larva reared on vegetable food refuses in any way to lend + itself to a change of diet. However pressed by hunger, the caterpillar of + the Spurge Hawk-moth, which browses on the tithymals, will allow itself to + starve in front of a cabbage leaf which makes a peerless meal for the + Pieris. Its stomach, burned by pungent spices, will find the Crucifera + insipid and uneatable, though its piquancy is enhanced by essence of + sulphur. The Pieris, on its part, takes good care not to touch the + tithymals: they would endanger its life. The caterpillar of the + Death's-head Hawk-moth requires the solanaceous narcotics, principally the + potato, and will have nothing else. All that is not seasoned with solanin + it abhors. And it is not only larvae whose food is strongly spiced with + alkaloids and other poisonous substances that refuse any innovation in + their food; the others, even those whose diet is least juicy, are + invincibly uncompromising. Each has its plant or its group of plants, + beyond which nothing is acceptable. + </p> + <p> + I remember a late frost which had nipped the buds of the mulberry-trees + during the night, just when the first leaves were out. Next day there was + great excitement among my neighbours: the Silk-worms had hatched and the + food had suddenly failed. The farmers had to wait for the sun to repair + the disaster; but how were they to keep the famishing new-born grubs alive + for a few days? They knew me for an expert in plants; by collecting them + as I walked through the fields I had earned the name of a medical + herbalist. With poppy-flowers I prepared an elixir which cleared the + sight; with borage I obtained a syrup which was a sovran remedy for + whooping-cough; I distilled camomile; I extracted the essential oil from + the wintergreen. In short, botany had won for me the reputation of a quack + doctor. After all, that was something. + </p> + <p> + The housewives came in search of me from every point of the compass and + with tears in their eyes explained the situation. What could they give + their Silk-worms while waiting for the mulberry to sprout afresh? It was a + serious matter, well worthy of commiseration. One was counting on her + batch to buy a length of cloth for her daughter, who was on the point of + getting married; another told me of her plans for a Pig to be fattened + against the coming winter; all deplored the handful of crown-pieces which, + hoarded in the hiding-place in the cupboard, would have afforded help in + difficult times. And, full of their troubles, they unfolded, before my + eyes, a scrap of flannel on which the vermin were swarming: + </p> + <p> + "Regardas, moussu! Venoun d'espeli; et ren per lour douna! Ah, pecaire!" + "Look, sir! The frost has come and we've nothing to give them! Oh, what a + misfortune!" + </p> + <p> + Poor people! What a harsh trade is yours: respectable above all others, + but of all the most uncertain! You work yourselves to death; and, when you + have almost reached your goal, a few hours of a cold night, which comes + upon you suddenly, destroys your harvest. To help these afflicted ones + seemed to me a very difficult thing. I tried, however, taking botany as my + guide; it suggested to me, as substitutes for the mulberry, the members of + closely-related families: the elm, the nettle-tree, the nettle, the + pellitory. Their nascent leaves, chopped small, were offered to the + Silk-worms. Other and far less logical attempts were made, in accordance + with the inspiration of the individuals. Nothing came of them. To the last + specimen, the new-born Silk-worms died of hunger. My renown as a quack + must have suffered somewhat from this check. Was it really my fault? No, + it was the fault of the Silk-worm, which remained faithful to its mulberry + leaf. + </p> + <p> + It was therefore in nearly the certainty of non-fulfilment that I made my + first attempts at rearing carnivorous larvae with a quarry which did not + conform with the customary regimen. For conscience' sake, more or less + perfunctorily, I endeavoured to achieve something that seemed to me bound + to end in pitiful failure. Only the Bembex-wasps, which are plentiful in + the sand of the neighbouring hills, might still afford me, without too + prolonged a search, a few subjects on which to experiment. The Tarsal + Bembex furnished me with what I wanted: larvae young enough to have still + before them a long period of feeding and yet sufficiently developed to + endure the trials of a removal. + </p> + <p> + These larva are exhumed with all the consideration which their delicate + skin demands; a number of head of game are likewise unearthed intact, + having been recently brought by the mother. They consist of various + Diptera, including some Anthrax-flies. (Cf. "The Life of the Fly": + chapters 2 and 4.—Translator's Note.) An old sardine-box, containing + a layer of sifted sand and divided into compartments by paper partitions, + receives my charges, who are isolated one from another. These Fly-eaters I + propose to turn into Grasshopper-eaters; for their Bembex-diet I intend to + substitute the diet of a Sphex or a Tachytes. To save myself tedious + errands devoted to provisioning the refectory, I accept what good fortune + offers me at the very threshold of my door. A green Locustid, with a short + sabre bent into a reaping-hook, Phaneroptera falcata, is ravaging the + corollae of my petunias. Now is the time to indemnify myself for the + damage which she has caused me. I pick her young, half to three-quarters + of an inch in length; and I deprive her of movement, without more ado, by + crushing her head. In this condition she is served up to the Bembex-larvae + in place of their Flies. + </p> + <p> + If the reader has shared my convictions of failure, convictions based on + very logical motives, he will now share my profound surprise. The + impossible becomes possible, the senseless becomes reasonable and the + expected becomes the opposite of the real. The dish served on the + Bembeces' table for the first time since Bembeces came into the world is + accepted without any repugnance and consumed with every mark of + satisfaction. I will here set down the detailed diary of one of my guests; + that of the others would only be a repetition, save for a few variations. + </p> + <p> + 2 AUGUST, 1883.—The larva of the Bembex, as I extract it from its + burrow, is about half-developed. Around it I find only some scanty relics + of its meals, consisting chiefly of Anthrax-wings, half-diaphanous and + half-clouded. The mother would appear to have completed the victualling by + fresh contributions, added day by day. I give the nurseling, which is an + Anthrax-eater, a young Phaneroptera. The Locustid is attacked without + hesitation. This profound change in the character of its victuals does not + seem in the least to disturb the larva, which bites straight into the rich + morsel with its mandibles and does not let go until it has exhausted it. + Towards evening the drained carcase is replaced by another, quite fresh, + of the same species but bulkier, measuring over three-quarters of an inch. + </p> + <p> + 3 AUGUST.—Next day I find the Phaneroptera devoured. Nothing remains + but the dry integuments, which are not dismembered. The entire contents + have disappeared; the game has been emptied through a large opening made + in the belly. A regular Grasshopper-eater could not have operated more + skilfully. I replace the worthless carcase by two small Locustidae. At + first the larva does not touch them, being amply sated with the copious + meal of the day before. In the afternoon, however, one of the items is + resolutely attacked. + </p> + <p> + 4 AUGUST.—I renew the victuals, although those of the day before are + not finished. For the rest, I do the same daily, so that my charge may + constantly have fresh food at hand. High game might upset its stomach. My + Locustidae are not victims at the same time living and inert, operated + upon according to the delicate method of the insects that paralyse their + prey; they are corpses, procured by a brutal crushing of the head. With + the temperature now prevailing, flesh soon becomes tainted; and this + compels me frequently to renew the provisions in my sardine-box refectory. + Two specimens are served up. One is attacked soon afterwards; and the + larva clings to it assiduously. + </p> + <p> + 5 AUGUST.—The ravenous appetite of the start is becoming assuaged. + My supplies may well be too generous; and it might be prudent to try a + little dieting after this Gargantuan good cheer. The mother certainly is + more parsimonious. If all the family were to eat at the same rate as my + guest, she would never be able to keep pace with their demands. Therefore, + for reasons of health, this is a day of fasting and vigil. + </p> + <p> + 6 AUGUST.—Supplies are renewed with two Phaneropterae. One is + consumed entirely; the other is bitten into. + </p> + <p> + 7 August.—To-day's ration is tasted and then abandoned. The larva + seems uneasy. With its pointed mouth it explores the walls of its chamber. + This sign denotes the approach of the time for making the cocoon. + </p> + <p> + 8 AUGUST.—During the night the larva has spun its silken eel-trap. + It is now encrusting it with grains of sand. Then follow, in due time, the + normal phases of the metamorphosis. Fed on Locustidae, a diet unknown to + its race, the larva passes through its several stages without any more + difficulty than its brothers and sisters fed on Flies. + </p> + <p> + I obtained the same success in offering young Mantes for food. One of the + larvae thus served would even incline me to believe that it preferred the + new dish to the traditional diet of its race. Two Eristales, or + Drone-flies, and a Praying Mantis an inch long composed its daily + allowance. The Drone-flies are disdained from the first mouthful; and the + Mantis, already tasted and apparently found excellent, causes the Fly to + be completely forgotten. Is this an epicure's preference, due to the + greater juiciness of the flesh? I am not in a position to say. At all + events, the Bembex is not so infatuated with Fly as to refuse to abandon + it for other game. + </p> + <p> + The failure which I foresaw has proved a magnificent success. It is fairly + convincing, is it not? Without the evidence of experiment, what can we + rely upon? Beneath the ruins of so many theories which appeared to be most + solidly erected I should hesitate to admit that two and two make four if + the facts were not before me. My argument had the most tempting + probability on its side, but it had not the truth. As it is always + possible to find reasons after the event in support of an opinion which + one would not at first admit, I should now argue as follows: + </p> + <p> + The plant is the great factory in which are elaborated, with mineral + materials, the organic principles which are the materials of life. Certain + products are common to the whole vegetable series, but others, far less + numerous, are prepared in special laboratories. Each genus, each species + has its trade-mark. Here essential oils are manufactured; here alkaloids; + here starches, fatty substances, resins, sugars, acids. Hence result + special energies, which do not suit every herbivorous animal. It assuredly + requires a stomach made expressly for the purpose to digest aconite, + colchicum, hemlock or henbane; those who have not such a stomach could + never endure a diet of that sort. Besides, the Mithridates fed on poison + resist only a single toxin. (Mithridates VI. King of Pontus (d. B.C. 63) + is said to have secured immunity from poison by taking increased doses of + it.—Translator's Note.) The caterpillar of the Death's-head + Hawk-moth, which delights in the solanin of the potato, would be killed by + the acrid principle of the tithymals that form the food of the + Spurge-caterpillar. The herbivorous larvae are therefore perforce + exclusive in their tastes, because different genera of vegetables possess + very different properties. + </p> + <p> + With this variety in the products of the plant, the animal, a consumer far + more than a producer, contrasts the uniformity in its own products. The + albumen in the egg of the Ostrich or the Chaffinch, the casein in the milk + of the Cow or the Ass, the muscular flesh of the Wolf or the Sheep, the + Screech-owl or the Field-mouse, the Frog or the Earth-worm: these remain + albumen, casein or fibrin, edible if not eaten. Here are no excruciating + condiments, no special acridities, no alkaloids fatal to any stomach other + than that of the appointed consumer; so that animal food is not confined + to one and the same eater. What does not man eat, from that delicacy of + the arctic regions, soup made of Seal's blood and a scrap of Whale-blubber + wrapped in a willow-leaf for a vegetable, to the Chinaman's fried + Silk-worm or the Arab's dried Locust? What would he not eat, if he had not + to overcome the repugnance dictated by habit rather than by actual + necessity? The prey being uniform in its nutritive principles, the + carnivorous larva ought to accommodate itself to any sort of game, above + all if the new dish be not too great a departure from consecrated usage. + Thus should I argue, with no less probability on my side, had I to begin + all over again. But, as all our arguments have not the value of a single + fact, I should be forced in the end to resort to experiment. + </p> + <p> + I did so the next year, on a larger scale and with a greater variety of + subjects. I shrink from a continuous narrative of my experiments and of my + personal education in this new art, where the failure of one day taught me + the way to succeed on the morrow. It would be long and tedious. Enough if + I briefly state my results and the conditions which must be fulfilled in + order to run the delicate refectory as it should be run. + </p> + <p> + And, first, we must not dream of detaching the egg from its natural prey + to lay it on another. The egg adheres pretty firmly, by its cephalic pole, + to the quarry. To remove it from its place would inevitably jeopardize its + future. I therefore let the larva hatch and acquire sufficient strength to + bear the removal without peril. For that matter, my excavations most often + provide me with my subjects in the form of larvae. I adopt for + rearing-purposes the larvae that are a quarter to a half developed. The + others are too young and risky to handle, or too old and limited to a + short period of artificial feeding. + </p> + <p> + Secondly, I avoid bulky heads of game, a single one of which would suffice + for the whole growing-stage. I have already said and I here repeat how + nice a matter it is to consume a victim which has to keep fresh for a + couple of weeks and not to finish dying until it is almost entirely + devoured. Death here leaves no corpse; when life is extinct, the body has + disappeared, leaving only a shred of skin. Larvae with only one large prey + have a special art of eating, a dangerous art, in which a clumsy bite + would prove fatal. If bitten before the proper time at such a point, the + victim becomes putrid, which promptly causes death by poisoning in the + consumer. When diverted from its plan of attack, deprived of its clue, the + larva is not always able to rediscover the lawful morsels in good time and + is killed by the decomposition of its badly dissected prey. What will + happen if the experimenter gives it a game to which it is not accustomed? + Not knowing how to eat it according to rule, the larva will kill it; and + by next day the victuals will have become so much toxic putrescence. I + have already told how I found it impossible to rear the Two-banded Scolia + on Oryctes-larvae, fastened down to deprive them of movement, or even on + Ephippigers, paralysed by the Languedocian Sphex. In both cases the new + diet was accepted without hesitation, a proof that it suited the + nurseling; but in a day or two putrescence supervened and the Scolia + perished on the fetid morsel. The method of preserving the Ephippiger, so + well known to the Sphex, was unknown to my boarder; in this was enough to + convert a delicious food into poison. + </p> + <p> + Even so did my other attempts miscarry wretchedly, attempts at feeding + with the single dish consisting of one big head of game to replace the + normal ration. Only one success is recorded in my notebooks, but that was + so difficult that I would not undertake to obtain it a second time. I + succeeded in feeding the larva of the Hairy Ammophila with an adult black + Cricket, who was accepted as readily as the natural game, the caterpillar. + </p> + <p> + To avoid putrefaction of victuals which last overlong and are not consumed + according to the method indispensable to their preservation, I employ + small game, each piece of which can be finished by the larva at a single + sitting, or at most in a single day. It matters little then that the + victim is slashed and dismembered at random; decomposition has no time to + seize upon its still quivering tissues. This is the procedure of those + larvae which gulp down their food, snapping at random without + distinguishing one part from another, such as the Bembex-larvae, which + finish the Fly into which they have bitten before beginning another in the + heap, or the Cerceris-larvae, which drain their Weevils methodically one + after another. With the first strokes of the mandibles the victim broached + may be mortally wounded. This is no disadvantage: a brief spell suffices + to make use of the corpse, which is saved from putrefaction by being + promptly consumed. Close beside it, the other victims, quite alive though + motionless, await their respective turns and supply reserves of victuals + which are always fresh. + </p> + <p> + I am too unskilful a butcher to imitate the Wasp and myself to resort to + paralysis; moreover, the caustic liquid injected into the nerve-centres, + ammonia in particular, would leave traces of smell or flavour which might + put off my boarders. I am therefore compelled to deprive my insects of the + power of movement by killing them outright. This makes it impracticable to + provide a sufficiency of provisions beforehand in a single supply: while + one item of the ration was being consumed the rest would spoil. One + expedient alone remains to me, one which entails constant attendance: it + is to renew the provisions each day. When all these conditions are + fulfilled, the success of artificial feeding is still not without its + difficulties; nevertheless, with a little care and above all plenty of + patience, it is almost certain. + </p> + <p> + It was thus that I reared the Tarsal Bembex, which eats Anthrax-flies and + other Diptera, on young Locustidae or Mantidae; the Silky Ammophila, whose + diet consists chiefly of Measuring-worms, on small Spiders; the pot-making + Pelopaeus, a Spider-eater, on tender Acridians; the Sand Cerceris, a + passionate lover of Weevils, on Halicti; the Bee-eating Philanthus, which + feeds exclusively on Hive-bees, on Eristales and other Flies. Without + succeeding in my final aim, for reasons which I have just explained, I + have seen the Two-banded Scolia feasting greedily on the grub of the + Oryctes, which was substituted for that of the Cetonia, and putting up + with an Ephippiger taken from the burrow of the Sphex; I have been present + at the repast of three Hairy Ammophilae accepting with an excellent + appetite the Cricket that replaced their caterpillar. One of them, as I + have related, contrived to keep its ration fresh, which enabled it to + reach its full development and to spin its cocoon. + </p> + <p> + These examples, the only ones to which my experiments have extended + hitherto, seem to me sufficiently convincing to allow me to conclude that + the carnivorous larva does not have exclusive tastes. The ration supplied + to it by the mother, so monotonous, so limited in quality, might be + replaced by others equally to its taste. Variety does not displease the + larva; it does it as much good as uniformity; indeed, it would be of + greater benefit to the race, as we shall see presently. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 8. A DIG AT THE EVOLUTIONISTS. + </h2> + <p> + To rear a caterpillar-eater on a skewerful of Spiders is a very innocent + thing, unlikely to compromise the security of the State; it is also a very + childish thing, as I hasten to confess, and worthy of the schoolboy who, + in the mysteries of his desk, seeks as best he may some diversion from the + fascinations of his exercise in composition. And I should not have + undertaken these investigations, still less should I have spoken them, not + without some satisfaction, if I had not discerned, in the results obtained + in my refectory, a certain philosophic import, involving, so it seemed to + me, the evolutionary theory. + </p> + <p> + It is assuredly a majestic enterprise, commensurate with man's immense + ambitions, to seek to pour the universe into the mould of a formula and + submit every reality to the standard of reason. The geometrician proceeds + in this manner: he defines the cone, an ideal conception; then he + intersects it by a plane. The conic section is submitted to algebra, an + obstetrical appliance which brings forth the equation; and behold, + entreated now in one direction, now in another, the womb of the formula + gives birth to the ellipse, the hyperbola, the parabola, their foci, their + radius vectors, their tangents, their normals, their conjugate axes, their + asymptotes and the rest. It is magnificent, so much so that you are + overcome by enthusiasm, even when you are twenty years old, an age hardly + adapted to the austerities of mathematics. It is superb. You feel as if + you were witnessing the creation of a world. + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, you are merely observing the same idea from different + points of view, which are illumined by the successive phases of the + transformed formula. All that algebra unfolds for our benefit was + contained in the definition of the cone, but it was contained as a germ, + under latent forms which the magic of the calculus converts into explicit + forms. The gross value which our mind confided to the equation it returns + to us, without loss or gain, in coins stamped with every sort of effigy. + And here precisely is that which constitutes the inflexible rigour of the + calculus, the luminous certainty before which every cultivated mind is + forced to bow. Algebra is the oracle of the absolute truth, because it + reveals nothing but what the mind had hidden in it under an amalgam of + symbols. We put 2 and 2 into the machine; the rollers work and show us 4. + That is all. + </p> + <p> + But to this calculus, all-powerful so long as it does not leave the domain + of the ideal, let us submit a very modest reality: the fall of a grain of + sand, the pendular movement of a hanging body. The machine no longer + works, or does so only by suppressing almost everything that is real. It + must have an ideal material point, an ideal rigid thread, an ideal point + of suspension; and then the pendular movement is translated by a formula. + But the problem defies all the artifices of analysis if the oscillating + body is a real body, endowed with volume and friction; if the suspensory + thread is a real thread, endowed with weight and flexibility; if the point + of support is a real point, endowed with resistance and capable of + deflection. So with other problems, however simple. The exact reality + escapes the formula. + </p> + <p> + Yes, it would be a fine thing to put the world into an equation, to assume + as the first principle a cell filled with albumen and by transformation + after transformation to discover life under its thousand aspects as the + geometrician discovers the ellipse and the other curves by examining his + conic section. Yes, it would be magnificent and enough to add a cubit to + our stature. Alas, how greatly must we abate our pretensions! The reality + is beyond our reach when it is only a matter of following a grain of dust + in its fall; and we would undertake to ascend the river of life and trace + it to its source! The problem is a more arduous one than that which + algebra declines to solve. There are formidable unknown quantities here, + more difficult to decipher than the resistances, the deflections and the + frictions of the pendulum. Let us eliminate them, that we may more easily + propound the theory. + </p> + <p> + Very well; but then my confidence in this natural history which repudiates + nature and gives ideal conceptions precedence over real facts is shaken. + So, without seeking the opportunity, which is not my business, I take it + when it presents itself; I examine the theory of evolution from every + side; and, as that which I have been assured is the majestic dome of a + monument capable of defying the ages appears to me to be no more than a + bladder, I irreverently dig my pin into it. + </p> + <p> + Here is the latest dig. Adaptability to a varied diet is an element of + well-being in the animal, a factor of prime importance for the extension + and predominance of its race in the bitter struggle for life. The most + unfortunate species would be that which depended for its existence on a + diet so exclusive that no other could replace it. What would become of the + Swallow if he required, in order to live, one particular Gnat, a single + Gnat, always the same? When once this Gnat had disappeared—and the + life of the Mosquito is not a long one—the bird would die of + starvation. Fortunately for himself and for the happiness of our homes, + the Swallow gulps them all down indiscriminately, together with a host of + other insects that perform aerial ballets. What would become of the Lark + were his gizzard able to digest only one seed, invariably the same? When + the season for this seed was over—and the season is always a short + one—the haunter of the furrows would perish. + </p> + <p> + Is not man's complaisant stomach, adapted to the largest variety of + nourishment, one of his great zoological privileges? He is thus rendered + independent of climates, seasons and latitudes. And the Dog: how is it + that of all the domestic animals he alone is able to accompany us + everywhere, even on the most arduous expeditions? The Dog again is + omnivorous and therefore a cosmopolitan. + </p> + <p> + The discovery of a new dish, said Brillat-Savarin, is of greater + importance to humanity than the discovery of a new planet. The aphorism is + nearer to the truth than it appears to be in its humorous form. Certainly + the man who was the first to think of crushing wheat, kneading flour and + cooking the paste between two hot stones was more deserving than the + discoverer of the two-hundredth asteroid. The invention of the potato is + certainly as valuable as that of Neptune, glorious as the latter was. All + that increases our alimentary resources is a discovery of the first merit. + And what is true of man cannot be other than true of animals. The world + belongs to the stomach which is independent of specialities. This truth is + of the kind that has only to be stated to be proved. + </p> + <p> + Let us now return to our insects. If I am to believe the evolutionists, + the various game-hunting Wasps are descended from a small number of types, + which are themselves derived, by an incalculable number of concatenations, + from a few amoebae, a few monera and lastly from the first clot of + protoplasm which was casually condensed. Let us not go back as far as + that; let us not plunge into the fogs where illusion and error too easily + find a lurking-place. Let us consider a subject with exact limits to it; + this is the only way to understand one another. + </p> + <p> + The Sphegidae are descended from a single type, which itself was already a + highly-developed descendant and, like its successors, fed its family on + prey. The close similarity in form, in colouring and, above all, in habits + seem to refer the Tachytes to the same origin. This is ample; let us be + satisfied with it. And now please tell me, what did this prototype of the + Sphegidae hunt? Was its diet varied or uniform? If we cannot decide, let + us examine the two cases. + </p> + <p> + The diet was varied. I heartily congratulate the first born of the + Sphex-wasps. She enjoyed the most favourable conditions for leaving a + prosperous offspring. Accommodating herself to any kind of prey not + disproportionate to her strength, she avoided the dearth of a given + species of game at this or that time and in this or that place; she always + found the wherewithal to endow her family magnificently, they being, for + that matter, fairly indifferent to the nature of the victuals, provided + that these consisted of fresh insect-flesh, as the tastes of their cousins + many times removed prove to this day. This matriarch of the Sphex clan + bore within herself the best chances of assuring victory to her offspring + in that pitiless fight for existence which eliminates the weakly and + incapable and allows none but the strong and industrious to survive; she + possessed an aptitude of great value which atavism could not fail to hand + down and which her descendants, who are greatly interested in preserving + this magnificent inheritance, must have permanently adopted and even + accentuated from one generation to the next, from one branch, one + offshoot, to another. + </p> + <p> + Instead of this unscrupulously omnivorous race, levying booty upon every + kind of game, to its very great advantage, what do we see to-day? Each + Sphex is stupidly limited to an unvarying diet; she hunts only one kind of + prey, though her larva accepts them all. One will have nothing but the + Ephippiger and must have a female at that; another will have nothing but + the Cricket. This one hunts the Locust and nothing else; that one the + Mantis and the Empusa. Yet another is addicted to the Grey Worm and + another to the Looper. + </p> + <p> + Fools! How great was your mistake in allowing the wise eclecticism of your + ancestress, whose relics now repose in the hard mud of some lacustrian + stratum, to become obsolete! How much better would things be for you and + yours! Abundance is assured; painful and often fruitless searches are + avoided; the larder is crammed without being subject to the accidents of + time, place and climate. When Ephippigers run short, you fall back upon + Crickets; when there are no Crickets, you capture Grasshoppers. But no, my + beautiful Sphex-wasps, you were not such fools as that. If in our days you + are each confined to a standing family-dish, it is because your ancestress + of the lacustrian schists never taught you variety. + </p> + <p> + Could she have taught you uniformity? Let us suppose that the Sphex of + antiquity, a novice in the gastronomic art, prepared her potted meats with + a single kind of game, no matter what. It was then her descendants who, + subdivided into groups and constituted into so many distinct species by + the slow travail of the centuries, realized that in addition to the + ancestral fare there existed a host of other foods. Tradition being + abandoned, there was nothing to guide their choice. They therefore tried a + bit of everything in the way of insect game, at hap-hazard; and each time + the larva, whose tastes alone had to be consulted, was satisfied with the + food supplied, as it is to-day in the refectory provisioned by my care. + </p> + <p> + Every attempt led to the invention of a new dish, an important event, + according to the masters, an inestimable resource for the family, who were + thereby delivered from the menace of death and enabled to thrive over + large areas whence the absence or rarity of a uniform game would have + excluded it. And, after making use of a host of different viands in order + to attain the culinary variety which is to-day adopted by the whole of the + Sphex nation, lo and behold, each species confines itself to a single sort + of game, outside which every specimen is obstinately refused, not at + table, of course, but in the hunting-field! By your experiments, from age + to age, to have discovered variety in diet; to have practised it, to the + great advantage of your race, and to end up with uniformity, the cause of + decadence; to have known the excellent and to repudiate it for the + middling: oh, my Sphex-wasps, it would be stupid if the theory of + evolution were correct! + </p> + <p> + To avoid insulting you and also from respect for common sense, I prefer + therefore to believe that, if in our days you confine your hunting to a + single kind of game, it is because you have never known any other. I + prefer to believe that your common ancestress, your precursor, whether her + tastes were simple or complex, is a pure chimera, for, if they were any + relationship between you, having tested everything in order to arrive at + the actual food of each species, having eaten everything and found it + grateful to the stomach, you would now, from first to last, be + unprejudiced consumers, omnivorous progressives. I prefer to believe, in + short, that the theory of evolution is powerless to explain your diet. + This is the conclusion drawn from the dining-room installed in my old + sardine-box. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 9. RATIONING ACCORDING TO SEX. + </h2> + <p> + Considered in respect of quality, the food has just disclosed our profound + ignorance of the origins of instinct. Success falls to the blusterers, to + the imperturbable dogmatists, from whom anything is accepted if only they + make a little noise. Let us discard this bad habit and admit that really, + if we go to the bottom of things, we know nothing about anything. + Scientifically speaking, nature is a riddle to which human curiosity finds + no definite solution. Hypothesis follows hypothesis; the theoretical + rubbish-heap grows bigger and bigger; and still truth escapes us. To know + how to know nothing might well be the last word of wisdom. + </p> + <p> + Considered in respect of quantity, the food sets us other problems, no + less obscure. Those of us who devote ourselves assiduously to studying the + customs of the game-hunting Wasps soon find our attention arrested by a + very remarkable fact, at the time when our mind, refusing to be satisfied + with sweeping generalities, which our indolence too readily makes shift + with, seeks to enter as far as possible into the secret of the details, so + curious and sometimes so important, as and when they become better-known + to us. This fact, which has preoccupied me for many a long year, is the + variable quantity of the provisions packed into the burrow as food for the + larva. + </p> + <p> + Each species is scrupulously faithful to the diet of its ancestors. For + more than a quarter of a century I have been exploring my district; and I + have never known the diet to vary. To-day, as thirty years ago, each + huntress must have the game which I first saw her pursuing. But, though + the nature of the victuals is constant, the quantity is not so. In this + respect the difference is so great that he would need to be a very + superficial observer who should fail to perceive it on his first + examination of the burrows. In the beginning, this difference, involving + two, three, four times the quantity and more, perplexed me extremely and + led me to the conclusions which I reject to-day. + </p> + <p> + Here, among the instances most familiar to me, are some examples of these + variations in the number of victims provided for the larva, victims, of + course, very nearly identical in size. In the larder of the Yellow-winged + Sphex, after the victualling is completed and the house shut up, two or + three Crickets are sometimes found and sometimes four. Stizus ruficornis + (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapter 20; also "Bramble-bees and Others": + chapter 9.—Translator's Note.), established in some vein of soft + sandstone, places three Praying Mantes in one cell and five in another. Of + the caskets fashioned by Amedeus' Eumenes (Cf. "The Mason-wasps": chapter + 1.—Translator's Note.) out of clay and bits of stone, the more + richly endowed contain ten small caterpillars, the more poorly furnished + five. The Sand Cerceris (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapter 2.—Translator's + Note.) will sometimes provide a ration of eight Weevils and sometimes one + of twelve or even more. My notes abound in abstracts of this kind. It is + unnecessary for the purpose in hand to quote them all. It will serve our + object better if I give the detailed inventory of the Bee-eating + Philanthus and of the Mantis-hunting Tachytes, considered especially with + regard to the quantity of the victuals. + </p> + <p> + The slayer of Hive-bees is frequently in my neighbourhood; and I can + obtain from her with the least trouble the greatest number of data. In + September I see the bold filibuster flying from clump to clump of the pink + heather pillaged by the Bee. The bandit suddenly arrives, hovers, makes + her choice and swoops down. The trick is done: the poor worker, with her + tongue lolling from her mouth in the death-struggle, is carried through + the air to the underground den, which is often a very long way from the + spot of the capture. The trickling of earthy refuse, on the bare banks, or + on the slopes of footpaths, instantly reveals the dwellings of the + ravisher; and, as the Philanthus always works in fairly populous colonies, + I am able, by noting the position of the communities, to make sure of + fruitful excavations during the forced inactivity of winter. + </p> + <p> + The sapping is a laborious task, for the galleries run to a great depth. + Favier wields the pick and spade; I break the clods which he brings down + and open the cells, whose contents—cocoons and remnants of + provisions—I at once pour into a little screw of paper. Sometimes, + when the larva is not developed, the stack of Bees is intact; more often + the victuals have been consumed; but it is always possible to tell the + number of items provided. The heads, abdomens and thoraxes, emptied of + their fleshy substance and reduced to the tough outer skin, are easily + counted. If the larva has chewed these overmuch, the wings at least are + left; these are sapless organs which the Philanthus absolutely scorns. + They are likewise spared by moisture, putrefaction and time, so much so + that it is no more difficult to take an inventory of a cell several years + old than one of a recent cell. The essential thing is not to overlook any + of these tiny relics while placing them in the paper bag, amid the + thousand incidents of the excavation. The rest of the work will be done in + the study, with the aid of the lens, taking the remains heap by heap; the + wings will be separated from the surrounding refuse and counted in sets of + four. The result will give the amount of the provisions. I do not + recommend this task to any one who is not endowed with a good stock of + patience, nor above all to any one who does not start with the conviction + that results of great interest are compatible with very modest means. + </p> + <p> + My inspection covers a total of one hundred and thirty-six cells, which + are divided as in the table below: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + 2 cells each containing 1 Bee + 52 cells each containing 2 Bees + 36 cells each containing 3 Bees + 36 cells each containing 4 Bees + 9 cells each containing 5 Bees + 1 cell containing 6 Bees + —- + 136 +</pre> + <p> + The Mantis-hunting Tachytes consumes its heap of Mantes, the horny + envelope included, without leaving any remains but scanty crumbs, quite + insufficient to establish the number of items provided. After the meal is + completed, any inventory of the rations becomes impossible. I therefore + have recourse to the cells which still contain the egg or the very young + larva and, above all, to those whose provisions have been invaded by a + tiny parasitic Gnat, a Tachina (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapters 4 and + 16.—Translator's Note.), which drains the game without cutting it up + and leaves the whole skin intact. Twenty-five larders, put to the count, + give me the following result: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + 8 cells each containing 3 items + 5 cells each containing 4 items + 4 cells each containing 6 items + 3 cells each containing 7 items + 2 cells each containing 8 items + 1 cell containing 9 items + 1 cell containing 12 items + 1 cell containing 16 items + —- + 25 +</pre> + <p> + The predominant game is the Praying Mantis, green; next comes the Grey + Mantis, ash-coloured. A few Empusae make up the total. The specimens vary + in dimensions within fairly elastic limits: I measure some which are a + third to a half inch long, averaging two-thirds to one inch long, and some + which are two-fifths, averaging three quarters. I see pretty plainly that + their number increases in proportion as their size diminishes, as though + the Tachytes were seeking to make up for the smallness of the game by + increasing the amount; none the less I find it quite impossible to detect + the least equivalence by combining the two factors of number and size. If + the huntress really estimates the provisions, she does so very roughly; + her household accounts are not at all well kept; each head of game, large + or small, must always count as one in her eyes. + </p> + <p> + Put on my guard, I look to see whether the honey-gathering Bees have a + double service, like the game-hunting Wasps'. I estimate the amount of + honeyed paste; I gauge the cups intended to contain it. In many cases the + result resembles the first obtained: the abundance of provisions varies + from one cell to another. Certain Osmiae (O. cornuta and O. tricornis (Cf. + "Bramble-bees and Others": passim; and, in particular, chapters 3 to 5.—Translator's + Note.)) feed their larvae on a heap of pollen-dust moistened in the middle + with a very little disgorged honey. One of these heaps may be three or + four times the size of some other in the same group of cells. If I detach + from its pebble the nest of the Mason-bee, the Chalicodoma of the Walls, I + see cells of large capacity, sumptuously provisioned; close beside these I + see others, of less capacity, with victuals parsimoniously allotted. The + fact is general; and it is right that we should ask ourselves the reason + for these marked differences in the relative quantity of foodstuffs and + for these unequal rations. + </p> + <p> + I at last began to suspect that this is first and foremost a question of + sex. In many Bees and Wasps, indeed, the male and the female differ not + only in certain details of internal or external structure—a point of + view which does not affect the present problem—but also in length + and bulk, which depend in a high degree on the quantity of food. + </p> + <p> + Let us consider in particular the Bee-eating Philanthus. Compared with the + female, the male is a mere abortion. I find that he is only a third to + half the size of the other sex, as far as I can judge by sight alone. To + obtain exactly the respective quantities of substance, I should need + delicate balances, capable of weighing down to a milligramme. My clumsy + villager's scales, on which potatoes may be weighed to within a kilogramme + or so, do not permit of this precision. I must therefore rely on the + evidence of my sight alone, evidence, for that matter, which is amply + sufficient in the present instance. Compared with his mate, the + Mantis-hunting Tachytes is likewise a pigmy. We are quite astonished to + see him pestering his giantess on the threshold of the burrows. + </p> + <p> + We observe differences no less pronounced of size—and consequently + of volume, mass and weight—in the two sexes of many Osmiae. The + differences are less emphatic, but are still on the same side, in the + Cerceres, the Stizi, the Spheges, the Chalicodomae and many more. It is + therefore the rule that the male is smaller than the female. There are of + course some exceptions, though not many; and I am far from denying them. I + will mention certain Anthidia where the male is the larger of the two. + Nevertheless, in the great majority of cases the female has the advantage. + </p> + <p> + And this is as it should be. It is the mother, the mother alone, who + laboriously digs underground galleries and chambers, kneads the plaster + for coating the cells, builds the dwelling-house of cement and bits of + grit, bores the wood and divides the burrow into storeys, cuts the disks + of leaf which will be joined together to form honey-pots, works up the + resin gathered in drops from the wounds in the pine-trees to build + ceilings in the empty spiral of a Snail-shell, hunts the prey, paralyses + it and drags it indoors, gathers the pollen-dust, prepares the honey in + her crop, stores and mixes the paste. This severe labour, so imperious and + so active, in which the insect's whole life is spent, manifestly demands a + bodily strength which would be quite useless to the male, the amorous + trifler. Thus, as a general rule, in the insects which carry on an + industry the female is the stronger sex. + </p> + <p> + Does this pre-eminence imply more abundant provisions during the larval + stage, when the insect is acquiring the physical growth which it will not + exceed in its future development? Simple reflection supplies the answer: + yes, the aggregate growth has its equivalent in the aggregate provisions. + Though so slight a creature as the male Philanthus finds a ration of two + Bees sufficient for his needs, the female, twice or thrice as bulky, will + consume three to six at least. If the male Tachytes requires three Mantes, + his consort's meal will demand a batch of something like ten. With her + comparative corpulence, the female Osmia will need a heap of paste twice + or thrice as great as that of her brother, the male. All this is obvious; + the animal cannot make much out of little. + </p> + <p> + Despite this evidence, I was anxious to enquire whether the reality + corresponded with the previsions of the most elementary logic. Instances + are not unknown in which the most sagacious deductions have been found to + disagree with the facts. During the last few years, therefore, I have + profited by my winter leisure to collect, from spots noted as favourable + during the working-season, a few handfuls of cocoons of various + Digger-wasps, notably of the Bee-eating Philanthus, who has just furnished + us with an inventory of provisions. Surrounding these cocoons and thrust + against the wall of the cell were the remnants of the victuals—wings, + corselets, heads, wing-cases—a count of which enabled me to + determine how many head of game had been provided for the larva, now + enclosed in its silken abode. I thus obtained the correct list of + provisions for each of the huntress' cocoons. On the other hand, I + estimated the quantities of honey, or rather I gauged the receptacles, the + cells, whose capacity is proportionate to the mass of the provisions + stored. After making these preparations, registering the cells, cocoons + and rations and putting all my figures in order, I had only to wait for + the hatching-season to determine the sex. + </p> + <p> + Well, I found that logic and experiment were in perfect agreement. The + Philanthus-cocoons with two Bees gave me males, always males; those with a + larger ration gave me females. From the Tachytes-cocoons with double or + treble that ration I obtained females. When fed upon four or five + Nut-weevils, the Sand Cerceris was a male; when fed upon eight or ten, a + female. In short, abundant provisions and spacious cells yield females; + scanty provisions and narrow cells yield males. This is a law upon which I + may henceforth rely. + </p> + <p> + At the stage which we have now reached a question arises, a question of + major importance, touching the most nebulous aspect of embryogeny. How is + it that the larva of the Philanthus, to take a particular case, receives + three to five Bees from its mother when it is to become a female and not + more than two when it is to become a male? Here the various head of game + are identical in size, in flavour, in nutritive properties. The food-value + is precisely in proportion to the number of items supplied, a helpful + detail which eliminates the uncertainties wherein we might be left by the + provision of game of different species and varying sizes. How is it, then, + that a host of Bees and Wasps, of honey-gatherers as well as huntresses, + store a larger or smaller quantity of victuals in their cells according as + the nurselings are to become females or males? + </p> + <p> + The provisions are stored before the eggs are laid; and these provisions + are measured by the needs of the sex of an egg still inside the mother's + body. If the egg-laying were to precede the rationing, which occasionally + takes place, as with the Odyneri (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapters 2 and + 8.—Translator's Note.), for example, we might imagine that the + gravid mother enquires into the sex of the egg, recognizes it and stacks + victuals accordingly. But, whether destined to become a male or a female, + the egg is always the same; the differences—and I have no doubt that + there are differences—are in the domain of the infinitely subtle, + the mysterious, imperceptible even to the most practised embryogenist. + What can a poor insect see—in the absolute darkness of its burrow, + moreover—where science armed with optical instruments has not yet + succeeded in seeing anything? And besides, even were it more discerning + than we are in these genetic obscurities, its visual discernment would + have nothing whereupon to practice. As I have said, the egg is laid only + when the corresponding provisions are stored. The meal is prepared before + the larva which is to eat it has come into the world. The supply is + generously calculated by the needs of the coming creature; the dining-room + is built large or small to contain a giant or a dwarf still germinating in + the ovarian ducts. The mother, therefore, knows the sex of her egg + beforehand. + </p> + <p> + A strange conclusion, which plays havoc with our current notions! The + logic of the facts leads us to it directly. And yet it seems so absurd + that, before accepting it, we seek to escape the predicament by another + absurdity. We wonder whether the quantity of food may not decide the fate + of the egg, originally sexless. Given more food and more room, the egg + would become a female; given less food and less room, it would become a + male. The mother, obeying her instincts, would store more food in this + case and less in that; she would build now a large and now a small cell; + and the future of the egg would be determined by the conditions of food + and shelter. + </p> + <p> + Let us make every test, every experiment, down to the absurd: the crude + absurdity of the moment has sometimes proved to be the truth of the + morrow. Besides, the well-known story of the Hive-bee should make us wary + of rejecting paradoxical suppositions. Is it not by increasing the size of + the cell, by modifying the quality and quantity of the food, that the + population of a hive transforms a worker larva into a female or royal + larva? It is true that the sex remains the same, since the workers are + only incompletely developed females. The change is none the less + miraculous, so much so that it is almost lawful to enquire whether the + transformation may not go further, turning a male, that poor abortion, + into a sturdy female by means of a plentiful diet. Let us therefore resort + to experiment. + </p> + <p> + I have at hand some long bits of reed in the hollow of which an Osmia, the + Three-horned Osmia, has stacked her cells, bounded by earthen partitions. + I have related elsewhere (Cf. "Bramble-bees and Others": chapters 2 to 5.—Translator's + Note.) how I obtain as many of these nests as I could wish for. When the + reed is split lengthwise, the cells come into view, together with their + provisions, the egg lying on the paste, or even the budding larva. + Observations multiplied ad nauseam have taught me where to find the males + and where the females in this apiary. The males occupy the fore-part of + the reed, the end next to the opening; the females are at the bottom, next + to the knot which serves as a natural stopper to the channel. For the + rest, the quantity of the provisions in itself points to the sex: for the + females it is twice or thrice as great as for the males. + </p> + <p> + In the scantily-provided cells, I double or treble the ration with food + taken from other cells; in the cells which are plentifully supplied, I + reduce the portion to a half or a third. Controls are left: that is to + say, some cells remain untouched, with their provisions as I found them, + both in the part which is abundantly provided and in that which is more + meagrely rationed. The two halves of the reed are then restored to their + original position and firmly bound with a few turns of wire. We shall see, + when the time comes, whether these changes increasing or decreasing the + victuals have determined the sex. + </p> + <p> + Here is the result: the cells which at first were sparingly provided, but + whose supplies were doubled or trebled by my artifice, contain males, as + foretold by the original amount of victuals. The surplus which I added has + not completely disappeared, far from it: the larva has had more than it + needed for its evolution as a male; and, being unable to consume the whole + of its copious provisions, it has spun its cocoon in the midst of the + remaining pollen-dust. These males, so richly supplied, are of handsome + but not exaggerated proportions; you can see that the additional food has + profited them to some small extent. + </p> + <p> + The cells with abundant provisions, reduced to a half or a third by my + intervention, contain cocoons as small as the male cocoons, pale, + translucent and limp, whereas the normal cocoons are dark-brown, opaque + and firm to the touch. These, we perceive at once, are the work of + starved, anaemic weavers, who, failing to satisfy their appetite and + having eaten the last grain of pollen, have, before dying, done their best + with their poor little drop of silk. Those cocoons which correspond with + the smallest allowance of food contain only a dead and shrivelled larva; + others, in whose case the provisions were less markedly decreased, contain + females in the adult form, but of very diminutive size, comparable with + that of the males, or even smaller. As for the controls which I was + careful to leave, they confirm the fact that I had males in the part near + the orifice of the reed and females in the part near the knot closing the + channel. + </p> + <p> + Is this enough to dispose of the very improbable supposition that the + determination of the sex depends on the quantity of food? Strictly + speaking, there is still one door open to doubt. It may be said that + experiment, with its artifices, does not succeed in realizing the delicate + natural conditions. To make short work of all objections, I cannot do + better than have recourse to facts in which the experimenter's hand has + not intervened. The parasites will supply us with these facts; they will + show us how alien the quantity and even the quality of the food are from + either specific or sexual characters. The subject of enquiry thus becomes + double, instead of single as it was when I plundered one cell in my split + reeds to enrich another. Let us follow this double current for a little + while. + </p> + <p> + An Ammophila, the Silky Ammophila (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": chapter 13.—Translator's + Note.), which feeds on Looper caterpillars (Known also as Measuring-worms, + Inchworms, Spanworms and Surveyors: the caterpillars of the Geometrid + Moths.—Translator's Note.), has just been reared in my refectory on + Spiders. Replete to the regulation point, it spins its cocoon. What will + emerge from this? If the reader expects to see any modifications, caused + by a diet which the species, left to itself, had never effected, let him + be undeceived and that quickly. The Ammophila fed on Spiders is precisely + the same as the Ammophila fed on caterpillars, just as man fed on rice is + the same as man fed on wheat. In vain I pass my lens over the product of + my art: I cannot distinguish it from the natural product; and I defy the + most meticulous entomologist to perceive any difference between the two. + It is the same with my other boarders who have had their diet altered. + </p> + <p> + I see the objection coming. The differences may be inappreciable, for my + experiments touch only a first rung of the ladder. What would happen if + the ladder were prolonged, if the offspring of the Ammophila fed on + Spiders were given the same food generation after generation? These + differences, at first imperceptible, might become accentuated until they + grew into distinct specific characters; the habits and instincts might + also change; and in the end the caterpillar-huntress might become a + Spider-huntress, with a shape of her own. A species would be created, for, + among the factors at work in the transformation of animals, the most + important of all is incontestably the type of food, the nature of the + thing wherewith the animal builds itself. All this is much more important + than the trivialities which Darwin relies upon. + </p> + <p> + To create a species is magnificent in theory, so that we find ourselves + regretting that the experimenter is not able to continue the attempt. But, + once the Ammophila has flown out of the laboratory to slake her thirst at + the flowers in the neighbourhood, just to try to find her again and induce + her to entrust you with her eggs, which you would rear in the refectory, + to increase the taste for Spiders from generation to generation! Merely to + dream of it were madness. Shall we, in our helplessness, admit ourselves + beaten by the evolutionary effects of diet? Not a bit of it! One + experiment—and you could not wish for a more decisive—is + continually in progress, apart from all artifices, on an enormous scale. + It is brought to our notice by the parasites. + </p> + <p> + They must, we are told, have acquired the habit of living on others in + order to save themselves work and to lead an easier life. The poor + wretches have made a sorry blunder. Their life is of the hardest. If a few + establish themselves comfortably, dearth and dire famine await most of the + rest. There are some—look at certain of the Oil-beetles—exposed + to so many chances of destruction that, to save one, they are obliged to + procreate a thousand. They seldom enjoy a free meal. Some stray into the + houses of hosts whose victuals do not suit them; others find only a ration + quite insufficient for their needs; others—and these are very + numerous—find nothing at all. What misadventures, what + disappointments do these needy creatures suffer, unaccustomed as they are + to work! Let me relate some of their misfortunes, gleaned at random. + </p> + <p> + The Girdled Dioxys (D. cincta) loves the ample honey-stores of the + Chalicodoma of the Pebbles. There she finds abundant food, so abundant + that she cannot eat it all. I have already passed censure on this waste. + (Cf. "The Mason-bees": chapter 10.—Translator's Note.) Now a little + Osmia (O. cyanoxantha, Perez) makes her nest in the Mason's deserted + cells; and this Bee, a victim of her ill-omened dwelling, also harbours + the Dioxys. This is a manifest error on the parasite's part. The nest of + the Chalicodoma, the hemisphere of mortar on its pebble, is what she is + looking for, to confide her eggs to it. But the nest is now occupied by a + stranger, by the Osmia, a circumstance unknown to the Dioxys, who comes + stealing up to lay her egg in the mother's absence. The dome is familiar + to her. She could not know it better if she had built it herself. Here she + was born; here is what her family wants. Moreover, there is nothing to + arouse her suspicions: the outside of the home has not changed its + appearance in any respect; the stopper of gravel and green putty, which + later will form a violent contrast with its white front, is not yet + constructed. She goes in and sees a heap of honey. To her thinking this + can be nothing but the Chalicodoma's portion. We ourselves would be + beguiled, in the Osmia's absence. She lays her eggs in this deceptive + cell. + </p> + <p> + Her mistake, which is easy to understand, does not in any way detract from + her great talents as a parasite, but it is a serious matter for the future + larva. The Osmia, in fact, in view of her small dimensions, collects but a + very scanty store of food: a little loaf of pollen and honey, hardly the + size of an average pea. Such a ration is insufficient for the Dioxys. I + have described her as a waster of food when her larva is established, + according to custom, in the cell of the Mason-bee. This description no + longer applies; not in the very least. Inadvertently straying to the + Osmia's table, the larva has no excuse for turning up its nose; it does + not leave part of the food to go bad; it eats up the lot without having + had enough. + </p> + <p> + This famine-stricken refectory can give us nothing but an abortion. As a + matter of fact, the Dioxys subjected to this niggardly test does not die, + for the parasite must have a tough constitution to enable it to face the + disastrous hazards which lie in wait for it; but it attains barely half + its ordinary dimensions, which means one-eighth of its normal bulk. To see + it thus diminished, we are surprised at its tenacious vitality, which + enables it to reach the adult form in spite of the extreme deficiency of + food. Meanwhile, this adult is still the Dioxys; there is no change of any + kind in her shape or colouring. Moreover, the two sexes are represented; + this family of pigmies has its males and females. Dearth and the + farinaceous mess in the Osmia's cell has had no more influence over + species or sex than abundance and flowing honey in the Chalicodoma's home. + </p> + <p> + The same may be said of the Spotted Sapyga (S. punctata (A parasitic Wasp. + Cf. "The Mason-bees": chapters 9 and 10.—Translator's Note.)), + which, a parasite of the Three-pronged Osmia, a denizen of the bramble, + and of the Golden Osmia, an occupant of empty Snail-shells, strays into + the house of the Tiny Osmia (O. parvula (This bee makes her home in the + brambles. Cf. "Bramble-dwellers and Others": chapters 2 and 3.—Translator's + Note.)), where, for lack of sufficient food, it does not attain half its + normal size. + </p> + <p> + A Leucopsis (Cf. "The Mason-bees": chapter 11.—Translator's Note.) + inserts her eggs through the cement wall of our three Chalicodomae. I know + her under two names. When she comes from the Chalicodoma of the Pebbles or + Walls, whose opulent larva saturates her with food, she deserves by her + large size the name of Leucopsis gigas, which Fabricius bestows upon her; + when she comes from the Chalicodoma of the Sheds, she deserves no more + than the name of L. grandis, which is all that Klug grants her. With a + smaller ration "the giant" is to some degree diminished and becomes no + more than "the large." When she comes from the Chalicodoma of the Shrubs, + she is smaller still; and, if some nomenclator were to seek to describe + her, she would no longer deserve to be called more than middling. From + dimension 2 she has descended to dimension 1 without ceasing to be the + same insect, despite the change of diet; and at the same time both sexes + are present in the three nurselings, despite the variation in the quantity + of victuals. + </p> + <p> + I obtain Anthrax sinuata ("The Mason-bees": chapters 8, 10 and 11.—Translator's + Note.) from various bees' nests. When she issues from the cocoons of the + Three-horned Osmia, especially the female cocoons, she attains the + greatest development that I know of. When she issues from the cocoons of + the Blue Osmia (O. cyanea, KIRB.), she is sometimes hardly one-third the + length which the other Osmia gives her. And we still have the two sexes—that + goes without saying—and still identically the same species. + </p> + <p> + Two Anthidia, working in resin, A. septemdentatum, LATR., and A. + bellicosum, LEP. (For these Resin-bees, cf. "Bramble-bees and Others": + chapter 10.—Translator's Note.), establish their domicile in old + Snail-shells. The second harbours the Burnt Zonitis (Z. proeusta (Cf. "The + Glow-worm and Other Beetles": chapter 6.—Translator's Note.)). Amply + nourished this Meloe then acquires her normal size, the size in which she + usually figures in the collections. A like prosperity awaits her when she + usurps the provisions of Megachile sericans. (For this Bee, the Silky + Leaf-cutter, cf. "Bramble-bees and Others": chapter 8.—Translator's + Note.) But the imprudent creature sometimes allows itself to be carried + away to the meagre table of the smallest of our Anthidia (A. scapulare, + LATR. (A Cotton-bee, cf. idem: chapter 9.—Translator's Note.)), who + makes her nests in dry bramble-stems. The scanty fare makes a wretched + dwarf of the offspring belonging to either sex, without depriving them of + any of their racial features. We still see the Burnt Zonitis, with the + distinctive sign of the species: the singed patch at the tip of the + wing-cases. + </p> + <p> + And the other Meloidae—Cantharides, Cerocomae, Mylabres (For these + Blister-beetles or Oil-beetles, cf. "The Glow-worm and Other Beetles": + chapter 6.—Translator's Note.)—to what inequalities of size + are they not subject, irrespective of sex! There are some—and they + are numerous—whose dimensions fall to a half, a third, a quarter of + the regular dimensions. Among these dwarfs, these misbegotten ones, these + victims of atrophy, there are females as well as males; and their + smallness by no means cools their amorous ardour. These needy creatures, I + repeat, have a hard life of it. Whence do they come, these diminutive + Beetles, if not from dining-rooms insufficiently supplied for their needs? + Their parasitical habits expose them to harsh vicissitudes. No matter: in + dearth as well as in abundance the two sexes appear and the specific + features remain unchanged. + </p> + <p> + It is unnecessary to linger longer over this subject. The demonstration is + completed. The parasites tell us that changes in the quantity and quality + of food do not lead to any transformation of species. Fed upon the larva + of the Three-horned Osmia or of the Blue Osmia, Anthrax sinuata, whether + of handsome proportions or a dwarf, is still Anthrax sinuata; fed upon the + allowance of the Anthidium of the empty Snail-shells, the Anthidium of the + brambles, the Megachile or doubtless many others, the Burnt Zonitis is + still the Burnt Zonitis. Yet variation of diet ought to be a very + potential factor in the problem of progress towards another form. Is not + the world of living creatures ruled by the stomach? And the value of this + factor is unity, changing nothing in the product. + </p> + <p> + The same parasites tell us—and this is the chief object of my + digression—that excess or deficiency of nutriment does not determine + the sex. So we are once more confronted with the strange proposition, + which is now more positive than ever, that the insect which amasses + provisions in proportion to the needs of the egg about to be laid knows + beforehand what the sex of this egg will be. Perhaps the reality is even + more paradoxical still. I shall return to the subject after discussing the + Osmiae, who are very weighty witnesses in this grave affair. (Cf. + "Bramble-bees and Others": chapters 3 to 5. The student is recommended to + read these three chapters in conjunction with the present chapter, to + which they form a sequel, with that on the Osmiae (chapter 2 of the above + volume) intervening.—Translator's Note.) + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 10. THE BEE-EATING PHILANTHUS. + </h2> + <p> + To meet among the Wasps, those eager lovers of flowers, a species that + goes hunting more or less on its own account is certainly a notable event. + That the larder of the grub should be provided with prey is natural + enough; but that the provider, whose diet is honey, should herself make + use of the captives is anything but easy to understand. We are quite + astonished to see a nectar-drinker become a blood-drinker. But our + astonishment ceases if we consider things more closely. The double method + of feeding is more apparent than real: the crop which fills itself with + sugary liquid does not gorge itself with game. The Odynerus, when digging + into the body of her prey, does not touch the flesh, a fare absolutely + scorned as contrary to her tastes; she satisfies herself with lapping up + the defensive drop which the grub (The Larva of Chrysomela populi, the + Poplar Leaf-beetle.—Translator's Note.) distils at the end of its + intestine. This fluid no doubt represents to her some highly-flavoured + beverage with which she seasons from time to time the staple diet fetched + from the drinking-bar of the flowers, some appetizing condiment or perhaps—who + knows?—some substitute for honey. Though the qualities of the + delicacy escape me, I at least perceive that the Odynerus does not covet + anything else. Once its jar is emptied, the larva is flung aside as + worthless offal, a certain sign of a non-carnivorous appetite. Under these + conditions, the persecutor of the Chrysomela ceases to surprise us by + indulging in the crying abuse of a double diet. + </p> + <p> + We even begin to wonder whether other species may not be inclined to + derive a direct advantage from the hunting imposed upon them for the + maintenance of the family. The Odynerus' method of work, the splitting + open of the anal still-room, is too far removed from the obvious procedure + to have many imitators; it is a secondary detail and impracticable with a + different kind of game. But there is sure to be a certain variety in the + direct means of utilizing the capture. Why, for instance, when the victim + paralysed by the sting contains a delicious broth in some part of its + stomach, should the huntress scruple to violate her dying prey and force + it to disgorge without injuring the quality of the provisions? There must + be those who rob the dead, attracted not by the flesh but by the exquisite + contents of the crop. + </p> + <p> + In point of fact, there are; and they are even numerous. We may mention in + the first rank the Wasp that hunts Hive-bees, the Bee-eating Philanthus + (P. apivorus, LATR.). I long suspected her of perpetrating these acts of + brigandage on her own behalf, having often surprised her gluttonously + licking the Bee's honey-smeared mouth; I had an inkling that she did not + always hunt solely for the benefit of her larvae. The suspicion deserved + to be confirmed by experiment. Also, I was engaged in another + investigation, which might easily be conducted simultaneously with the one + suggested: I wanted to study, with all the leisure of work done at home, + the operating-methods employed by the different Hunting Wasps. I therefore + made use, for the Philanthus, of the process of experimenting under glass + which I roughly outlined when speaking of the Odynerus. It was even the + Bee-huntress who gave me my first data in this direction. She responded to + my wishes with such zeal that I believed myself to possess an unequalled + means of observing again and again, even to excess, what is so difficult + to achieve on the actual spot. Alas, the first-fruits of my acquaintance + with the Philanthus promised me more than the future held in store for me! + But we will not anticipate; and we will place the huntress and her game + together under the bell-glass. I recommend this experiment to whoever + would wish to see with what perfection in the art of attack and defence a + Hunting Wasp wields the stiletto. There is no uncertainty here as to the + result, there is no long wait: the moment when she catches sight of the + prey in an attitude favourable to her designs, the bandit rushes forward + and kills. I will describe how things happen. + </p> + <p> + I place under the bell-glass a Philanthus and two or three Hive-bees. The + prisoners climb the glass wall, towards the light; they go up, come down + again and try to get out; the vertical polished surface is to them a + practicable floor. They soon quiet down; and the spoiler begins to notice + her surroundings. The antennae are pointed forwards, enquiringly; the + hind-legs are drawn up with a little quiver of greed in the tarsi; the + head turns to right and left and follows the evolutions of the Bees + against the glass. The miscreant's posture now becomes a striking piece of + acting: you can read in it the fierce longings of the creature lying in + ambush, the crafty waiting for the moment to commit the crime. The choice + is made: the Philanthus pounces on her prey. + </p> + <p> + Turn by turn tumbling over and tumbled, the two insects roll upon the + ground. The tumult soon abates; and the murderess prepares to strangle her + capture. I see her adopt two methods. In the first, which is more usual + than the other, the Bee is lying on her back; and the Philanthus, belly to + belly with her, grips her with her six legs while snapping at her neck + with her mandibles. The abdomen is now curved forward from behind, along + the prostrate victim, feels with its tip, gropes about a little and ends + by reaching the under part of the neck. The sting enters, lingers for a + moment in the wound; and all is over. Without releasing her prey, which is + still tightly clasped, the murderess restores her abdomen to its normal + position and keeps it pressed against the Bee's. + </p> + <p> + In the second method, the Philanthus operates standing. Resting on her + hind-legs and on the tips of her unfurled wings, she proudly occupies an + erect attitude, with the Bee held facing her between her four front legs. + To give the poor thing a position suited to receive the dagger-stroke, she + turns her round and back again with the rough clumsiness of a child + handling its doll. Her pose is magnificent to look at. Solidly planted on + her sustaining tripod, the two hinder tarsi and the tips of the wings, she + at last crooks her abdomen upwards and again stings the Bee under the + chin. The originality of the Philanthus' posture at the moment of the + murder surpasses the anything that I have hitherto seen. + </p> + <p> + The desire for knowledge in natural history has its cruel side. To learn + precisely the point attacked by the sting and to make myself thoroughly + acquainted with the horrible talent of the murderess, I have investigated + more assassinations under glass than I would dare to confess. Without a + single exception, I have always seen the Bee stung in the throat. In the + preparations for the final blow, the tip of the abdomen may well come to + rest on this or that point of the thorax or abdomen; but it does not stop + at any of these, nor is the sting unsheathed, as can readily be + ascertained. Indeed, once the contest is opened, the Philanthus becomes so + entirely absorbed in her operation that I can remove the cover and follow + every vicissitude of the tragedy with my pocket-lens. + </p> + <p> + After recognizing the invariable position of the wound, I bend back and + open the articulation of the head. I see under the Bee's chin a white + spot, measuring hardly a twenty-fifth of an inch square, where the horny + integuments are lacking and the delicate skin is shown uncovered. It is + here, always here, in this tiny defect in the armour, that the sting + enters. Why is this spot stabbed rather than another? Can it be the only + vulnerable point, which would necessarily determine the thrust of the + lancet? Should any one entertain so petty a thought, I advise him to open + the articulation of the corselet, behind the first pair of legs. He will + there see what I see: the bare skin, quite as fine as under the neck, but + covering a much larger surface. The horny breast-plate offers no wider + breach. If the Philanthus were guided in her operation solely by the + question of vulnerability, it is here certainly that she ought to strike, + instead of persistently seeking the narrow slit in the neck. The weapon + would not need to hesitate and grope; it would obtain admission into the + tissues off-hand. No, the stroke of the lancet is not forced upon it + mechanically: the assassin scorns the large defect in the corselet and + prefers the place under the chin, for eminently logical reasons which we + will now attempt to unravel. + </p> + <p> + Immediately after the operation I take the Bee from the Philanthus. What + strikes me is the sudden inertia of the antennae and the mouth-parts, + organs which in the victims of most of the Hunting Wasps continue to move + for so long a time. There are here not any of the signs of life to which I + have been accustomed in my old studies of insect paralysis: the antennary + threads waving slowly to and fro, the palpi quivering, the mandibles + opening and closing for days, weeks and months on end. At most, the tarsi + tremble for a minute or two; that constitutes the whole death-struggle. + Complete immobility ensues. The inference drawn from this sudden inertia + is inevitable: the Wasp has stabbed the cervical ganglia. Hence the + immediate cessation of movement in all the organs of the head; hence the + real instead of the apparent death of the Bee. The Philanthus is a butcher + and not a paralyser. + </p> + <p> + This is one step gained. The murderess chooses the under part of the chin + as the point attacked in order to strike the principal nerve-centres, the + cephalic ganglia, and thus to do away with life at one blow. When this + vital seat is poisoned by the toxin, death is instantaneous. Had the + Philanthus' object been simply to effect paralysis, the suppression of + locomotor movements, she would have driven her weapon into the flaw in the + corselet, as the Cerceres do with the Weevils, who are much more + powerfully armoured than the Bee. But her intention is to kill outright, + as we shall see presently; she wants a corpse, not a paralytic patient. + This being so, we must agree that her operating-method is supremely + well-inspired: our human murderers could achieve nothing more thorough or + immediate. + </p> + <p> + We must also agree that her attitude when attacking, an attitude very + different from that of the paralysers, is infallible in its death-dealing + efficacy. Whether she deliver her thrust lying on the ground or standing + erect, she holds the Bee in front of her, breast to breast, head to head. + In this posture all that she need do is to curve her abdomen in order to + reach the gap in the neck and plunge the sting with an upward slant into + her captive's head. Suppose the two insects to be gripping each other in + the reverse attitude, imagine the dirk to slant slightly in the opposite + direction; the results would be absolutely different and the sting, driven + downwards, would pierce the first thoracic ganglion and produce merely + partial paralysis. What skill, to sacrifice a wretched Bee! In what + fencing-school was the slayer taught her terrible upward blow under the + chin? + </p> + <p> + If she learnt it, how is it that her victim, such a past mistress in + architecture, such an adept in socialistic polity, has so far learnt no + corresponding trick to serve in her own defence? She is as powerful as her + executioner; like the other, she carries a rapier, an even more formidable + one and more painful, at least to my fingers. For centuries and centuries + the Philanthus has been storing her away in her cellars; and the poor + innocent meekly submits, without being taught by the annual extermination + of her race how to deliver herself from the aggressor by a well-aimed + thrust. I despair of ever understanding how the assailant has acquired her + talent for inflicting sudden death, when the assailed, who is better-armed + and quite as strong, wields her dagger anyhow and therefore ineffectively. + If the one has learnt by prolonged practice in attack, the other should + also have learnt by prolonged practice in defence, for attack and defence + possess a like merit in the fight for life. Among the theorists of the + day, is there one clear-sighted enough to solve the riddle for us? + </p> + <p> + If so, I will take the opportunity of putting to him a second problem that + puzzles me: the carelessness, nay, more, the stupidity of the Bee in the + presence of the Philanthus. You would be inclined to think that the victim + of persecution, learning gradually from the misfortunes suffered by her + family, would show distress at the ravisher's approach and at least + attempt to escape. In my cages I see nothing of the sort. Once the first + excitement due to incarceration under the bell-glass or the wire-gauze + cover has passed, the Bee seems hardly to trouble about her formidable + neighbour. I see one side by side with the Philanthus on the same honeyed + thistle-head: assassin and future victim are drinking from the same flask. + I see some one who comes heedlessly to enquire who that stranger can be, + crouching in wait on the table. When the spoiler makes her rush, it is + usually at a Bee who meets her half-way, and, so to speak, flings herself + into her clutches, either thoughtlessly or out of curiosity. There is no + wild terror, no sign of anxiety, no tendency to make off. How comes it + that the experience of the ages, that experience which, we are told, + teaches the animal so many things, has not taught the Bee the first + element of apiarian wisdom: a deep-seated horror of the Philanthus? Can + the poor wretch take comfort by relying on her trusty dagger? But she + yields to none in her ignorance of fencing; she stabs without method, at + random. However, let us watch her at the supreme moment of the killing. + </p> + <p> + When the ravisher makes play with her sting, the Bee does the same with + hers and furiously. I see the needle now moving this way or that way in + space, now slipping, violently curved, along the murderess' convex + surface. These sword-thrusts have no serious results. The manner in which + the two combatants are at grips has this effect, that the Philanthus' + abdomen is inside and the Bee's outside. The latter's sting therefore + finds under its point only the dorsal surface of the foe, a convex, + slippery surface and so well armoured as to be almost invulnerable. There + is here no breach into which the weapon can slip by accident; and so the + operation is conducted with absolute surgical safety, notwithstanding the + indignant protests of the patient. + </p> + <p> + After the fatal stroke has been administered, the murderess remains for a + long time belly to belly with the dead, for reasons which we shall shortly + perceive. There may now be some danger for the Philanthus. The attitude of + attack and defence is abandoned; and the ventral surface, more vulnerable + than the other, is within reach of the sting. Now the deceased still + retains the reflex use of her weapon for a few minutes, as I learnt to my + cost. Having taken the Bee too early from the bandit and handling her + without suspecting any risk, I received a most downright sting. Then how + does the Philanthus, in her long contact with the butchered Bee, manage to + protect herself against that lancet, which is bent upon avenging the + murder? Is there any chance of a commutation of the death-penalty? Can an + accident ever happen in the Bee's favour? Perhaps. + </p> + <p> + One incident strengthens my faith in this perhaps. I had placed four Bees + and as many Eristales under the bell-glass at the same time, with the + object of estimating the Philanthus' entomological knowledge in the matter + of the distinction of species. Reciprocal quarrels break out in the mixed + colony. Suddenly, in the midst of the fray, the killer is killed. She + tumbles over on her back, she waves her legs; she is dead. Who struck the + blow? It was certainly not the excitable but pacific Drone-fly; it was one + of the Bees, who struck home by accident during the thick of the fight. + Where and how? I cannot tell. The incident occurs only once in my notes, + but it throws a light upon the question. The Bee is capable of + withstanding her adversary; she can then and there slay her would-be + slayer with a thrust of the sting. That she does not defend herself to + better purpose, when she falls into her enemy's clutches, is due to her + ignorance of fencing and not to the weakness of her weapon. And here again + arises, more insistently than before, the question which I asked above: + how is it that the Philanthus has learnt for offensive what the Bee has + not learnt for defensive purposes? I see but one answer to the difficulty: + the one knows without having learnt; the other does not know because she + is incapable of learning. + </p> + <p> + Let us now consider the motives that induce the Philanthus to kill her Bee + instead of paralysing her. When the crime has been perpetrated, she + manipulates her dead victim without letting go of it for a moment, holding + its belly pressed against her own six legs. I see her recklessly, very + recklessly, rooting with her mandibles in the articulation of the neck, + sometimes also in the larger articulation of the corselet, behind the + first pair of legs, an articulation of whose delicate membrane she is + perfectly well aware, even though, when using her sting, she did not take + advantage of this point, which is the most readily accessible of all. I + see her rough-handling the Bee's belly, squeezing it against her own + abdomen, crushing it in the press. The recklessness of the treatment is + striking; it shows that there is no need for keeping up precautions. The + Bee is a corpse; and a little hustling here and there will not deteriorate + its quality, provided there be no effusion of blood. In point of fact, + however rough the handling, I fail to discover the slightest wound. + </p> + <p> + These various manipulations, especially the squeezing of the neck, at once + bring about the desired results: the honey in the crop mounts to the Bee's + throat. I see the tiny drops spurt out, lapped up by the glutton as soon + as they appear. The bandit greedily, over and over again, takes the dead + insect's lolling, sugared tongue into her mouth; then she once more digs + into the neck and thorax, subjecting the honey-bag to the renewed pressure + of her abdomen. The syrup comes and is instantly lapped up and lapped up + again. In this way the contents of the crop are exhausted in small + mouthfuls, yielded one at a time. This odious meal at the expense of a + corpse's stomach is taken in a sybaritic attitude; the Philanthus lies on + her side with the Bee between her legs. The atrocious banquet sometimes + lasts for half an hour or longer. At last the drained Bee is discarded, + not without regret, it seems, for from time to time I see the manipulation + renewed. After taking a turn round the top of the bell-jar, the robber of + the dead returns to her prey and squeezes it, licking its mouth until the + last trace of honey has disappeared. + </p> + <p> + This frenzied passion of the Philanthus for the Bee's syrup is declared in + yet another fashion. When the first victim has been sucked dry, I slip + under the glass a second victim, which is promptly stabbed under the chin + and then subjected to pressure to extract the honey. A third follows and + undergoes the same fate without satisfying the bandit. I offer a fourth + and a fifth. They are all accepted. My notes mention one Philanthus who in + front of my eyes sacrificed six Bees in succession and squeezed out their + crops in the regulation manner. The slaughter came to an end not because + the glutton was sated but because my functions as a purveyor were becoming + rather difficult: the dry month of August causes the insects to avoid my + harmas, which at this season is denuded of flowers. Six crops emptied of + their honey: what an orgy! And even then the ravenous creature would very + likely not have scorned a copious additional course, had I possessed the + means of supplying it! + </p> + <p> + There is no reason to regret this break in the service; the little that I + have said is more than enough to prove the singular characteristics of the + Bee-slayer. I am far from denying that the Philanthus has an honest means + of earning her livelihood; I find her working on the flowers as + assiduously as the other Wasps, peacefully drawing her honeyed beakers. + The males even, possessing no lancet, know no other manner of refreshment. + The mothers, without neglecting the table d'hote of the flowers, support + themselves by brigandage as well. We are told of the Skua, that pirate of + the seas, that he swoops down upon the fishing birds, at the moment when + they rise from the water with a capture. With a blow of the beak delivered + in the pit of the stomach he makes them give up their prey, which is + caught by the robber in mid-air. The despoiled bird at least gets off with + nothing worse than a contusion at the base of the throat. The Philanthus, + a less scrupulous pirate, pounces on the Bee, stabs her to death and makes + her disgorge in order to feed upon her honey. + </p> + <p> + I say feed and I do not withdraw the word. To support my statement I have + better reasons than those set forth above. In the cages in which various + Hunting Wasps, whose stratagems of war I am engaged in studying, are + waiting till I have procured the desired prey—not always an easy + thing—I have planted a few flower-spikes, a thistle-head or two, on + which are placed drops of honey renewed at need. Here my captives come to + take their meals. With the Philanthus, the provision of honeyed flowers, + though favourably received, is not indispensable. I have only to let a few + live Bees into her cage from time to time. Half a dozen a day is about the + proper allowance. With no other food than the syrup extracted from the + slain, I keep my insects going for a fortnight or three weeks. + </p> + <p> + It is as plain as a pikestaff: outside my cages, when the opportunity + offers, the Philanthus must also kill the Bee on her own account. The + Odynerus asks nothing from the Chrysomela but a mere condiment, the + aromatic juice of the rump; the other extracts from her victim an ample + supplement to her victuals, the crop full of honey. What a hecatomb of + Bees must not a colony of these freebooters make for their personal + consumption, not to mention the stored provisions! I recommend the + Philanthus to the signal vengeance of our Bee-masters. + </p> + <p> + Let us go no deeper into the first causes of the crime. Let us accept + things as we know them for the moment, with their apparent or real + atrocity. To feed herself, the Philanthus levies tribute on the Bee's + crop. Having made sure of this, let us consider the bandit's method more + closely. She does not paralyse her capture according to the rites + customary among the Hunting Wasps; she kills it. Why kill it? If the eyes + of our understanding be not closed, the need for sudden death is clear as + daylight. The Philanthus proposes to obtain the honeyed broth without + ripping up the Bee, a proceeding which would damage the game when it is + hunted on behalf of the larvae, without resorting to the murderous + extirpation of the crop. She must, by able handling, by skilful pressure, + make the Bee disgorge, she must milk her, in a manner of speaking. Suppose + the Bee stung behind the corselet and paralysed. That deprives her of her + power of locomotion, but not of her vitality. The digestive organs in + particular retain or very nearly retain their normal energy, as is proved + by the frequent excretions that take place in the paralysed prey, so long + as the intestine is not empty, as is proved above all by the victims of + the Languedocian Sphex (Cf. "The Hunting Wasp": chapters 8 to 10.—Translator's + Note.), those helpless creatures which I used to keep alive for forty days + on end with a soup consisting of sugar and water. It is absurd to hope, + without therapeutic means, without a special emetic, to coax a sound + stomach into emptying its contents. The stomach of the Bee, who is jealous + of her treasure, would lend itself to the process even less readily than + another. When paralysed, the insect is inert; but there are always + internal energies and organic forces which will not yield to the + manipulator's pressure. The Philanthus will nibble at the throat and + squeeze the sides in vain: the honey will not rise to the mouth so long as + a vestige of life keeps the crop closed. + </p> + <p> + Things are different with a corpse. The tension is relaxed, the muscles + become slack, the resistance of the stomach ceases and the bag of honey is + emptied by the robber's vigorous pressure. You see, therefore, that the + Philanthus is expressly obliged to inflict a sudden death, which will do + away at once with the elasticity of the organs. Where is the lightning + stroke to be delivered? The slayer knows better than we do, when she + sticks the Bee under the chin. The cerebral ganglia are reached through + the little hole in the neck and death ensues immediately. + </p> + <p> + The relation of these acts of brigandage cannot satisfy my distressing + habit of following each reply obtained with a fresh question, until the + granite wall of the unknowable rises before me. If the Philanthus is an + expert in killing Bees and emptying crops swollen with honey, this cannot + be merely an alimentary resource, especially when, in common with the + others, she has the banqueting-hall of the flowers. I cannot accept her + atrocious talent as inspired merely by the craving for a feast obtained at + the expense of an empty stomach. Something certainly escapes us: the why + and wherefore of that crop drained dry. A creditable motive may lie hidden + behind the horrors which I have related. What is it? + </p> + <p> + Any one can understand the vagueness of the observer's mind when he first + asks himself this question. The reader is entitled to be treated with + consideration. I will spare him the recital of my suspicions, my gropings + and my failures and will come straight to the results of my long + investigation. Everything has its harmonious reason for existence. I am + too fully persuaded of this to believe that the Philanthus pursues her + habit of profaning corpses solely to satisfy her greed. What does the + emptied crop portend? May it not be that...? Why, yes.... After all, who + knows?... Let us try along these lines. + </p> + <p> + The mother's first care is the welfare of the family. So far, we have seen + the Philanthus hunting only for her stomach's sake; let us watch her + hunting as a mother. Nothing is easier than to distinguish the two + performances. When the Wasp wants a few good mouthfuls and nothing more, + she scornfully abandons the Bee after picking her crop. The Bee is to her + a worthless remnant, which will shrivel where it lies and be dissected by + the Ants. If, on the other hand, she wants to stow away the Bee as a + provision for her larvae, she clasps her in her two intermediate legs and, + walking on the other four, goes round and round the edge of the + bell-glass, seeking for an outlet through which to fly off with her prey. + When she recognizes the circular track as impossible, she climbs up the + sides, this time holding the Bee by the antennae with her mandibles and + clinging to the polished and perpendicular surface with her six feet. She + reaches the top of the glass, stays for a little while in the hollow of + the knob at the top, returns to the ground, resumes her circling and her + climbing and does not decide to relinquish her Bee until she has + stubbornly attempted every means of escape. This persistence on her part + to retain her hold on the cumbrous burden tells us pretty plainly that the + game would go straight to the cells if the Philanthus had her liberty. + </p> + <p> + Well, these Bees intended for the larvae are stung under the chin like the + others; they are real corpses; they are manipulated, squeezed, drained of + their honey exactly as the others are. In all these respects, there is no + difference between the hunt conducted to provide food for the larvae and + the hunt conducted merely to gratify the mother's appetite. + </p> + <p> + As the worries of captivity might well be the cause of a few anomalies in + the insect's actions, I felt that I ought to enquire how things happen in + the open. I lay in wait near some colonies of Philanthi, for longer + perhaps than the question deserved, as it had already been settled by what + had happened under glass. My tedious watches were rewarded from time to + time. Most of the huntresses returned home immediately, with the Bee under + their abdomen; some halted on the brambles hard by; and here I saw them + squeezing the dead Bee and making her disgorge the honey, which was + greedily lapped up. After these preliminaries the corpse was stored. Every + doubt is therefore removed: the provisions of the larva are first + carefully drained of their honey. + </p> + <p> + Since we are on the spot, let us prolong our stay and enquire into the + customs of the Philanthus in a state of liberty. Serving dead prey, which + goes bad in a few days, the Bee-huntress cannot adopt the method of + certain insects which paralyse a number of separate heads of game and fill + the cell with provisions, completing the ration before laying the egg. She + needs the method of the Bembex, whose larva receives the necessary + nourishment at intervals, as it grows larger. The facts confirm this + deduction. Just now I described as tedious my watches near the colonies of + the Philanthi. They were tedious in fact, even more so perhaps than those + which the Bembeces used to inflict upon me in the old days. Outside the + burrows of the Great Cerceris and other Weevil-lovers, outside those of + the Yellow-winged Sphex, the Cricket-slayer, there is plenty of + distraction, thanks to the bustling movement of the hamlet. The mother has + hardly come back home before she goes out again, soon returning laden with + a new prey and once more setting out upon the chase. The going and coming + is repeated at close intervals until the warehouse is full. + </p> + <p> + The burrow of the Philanthus is far from showing any such animation, even + in a populous colony. In vain were my watches prolonged for whole mornings + or afternoons; it was but very rarely that the mother whom I had seen go + in with a Bee came out again for a second expedition. Two captures at most + by the same huntress was all that I was able to see during my long vigils. + Feeding from day to day involves this deliberation. Once the family is + supplied with a sufficient ration for the moment, the mother suspends her + hunting-trips until further need arises and occupies herself with + mining-work in her underground house. Cells are dug; I see the rubbish + gradually pushed up to the surface. Beyond this there is not a sign of + activity; it is as though the burrow were deserted. + </p> + <p> + The inspection of the site is no easy matter. The shaft descends to a + depth of nearly three feet in a compact soil, either vertically or + horizontally. The spade and pick, wielded by stronger but less expert + hands than mine, are indispensable, for which reason the process of + excavation is far from satisfying me fully. At the end of this long + tunnel, which the straw which I use for sounding despairs of ever + reaching, the cells are at last encountered, oval cavities with a + horizontal major axis. Their number and general arrangement escape me. + </p> + <p> + Some of them already contain the cocoon, which is slender and + semitransparent, like those of the Cerceris, and, like them, suggests the + shape of certain homoeopathic phials, with oval bellies surmounted by a + tapering neck. The cocoon is fastened to the end of the cell by the tip of + this neck, which is darkened and hardened by the larva's excrement; it has + no other support. It looks like a short club fixed by the end of the + handle along the horizontal axis of the nest. Other cells contain the + larva in a more or less advanced stage. The grub is munching the last + morsel served to it, with the scraps of the victuals already consumed + lying around it. Others lastly show me a Bee, one only, still untouched + and bearing an egg laid on her breast. This is the first partial ration; + the others will come as and when the grub grows larger. My anticipations + are thus confirmed: following the example of the Bembeces, the + Fly-killers, the Philanthus, the Bee-killer, lays her egg on the first + piece warehoused and at intervals adds to her nurselings' repast. + </p> + <p> + The problem of the dead game is solved. There remains this other problem, + one of incomparable interest: why are the Bees robbed of their honey + before being served to the larvae? I have said and I say again that the + killing and squeezing cannot be explained and excused simply by reference + to the Philanthus' love of gormandizing. Robbing the worker of her booty + is nothing out of the way: we see it daily; but cutting her throat in + order to empty her stomach is going beyond a joke. And, as the Bees packed + away in the cellar are squeezed dry just as much as the others, the + thought occurs to my mind that a rumpsteak with jam is not to everybody's + liking and that the game stuffed with honey might well be a distasteful or + even unwholesome dish for the Philanthus' larvae. What will the grub do + when, sated with blood and meat, it finds the Bee's honey-bag under its + mandibles and especially when, nibbling at random, it rips open the crop + and spoils its venison with syrup? Will it thrive on the mixture? Will the + little ogre pass without repugnance from the gamy flavour of a carcase to + the scent of flowers? A blunt statement or denial would serve no purpose. + We must see. Let us see. + </p> + <p> + I rear some young Philanthus-grubs, already waxing large; but, instead of + supplying them with the prey taken from the burrows, I give them game of + my own catching, game replete with nectar from the rosemaries. My Bees, + whom I kill by crushing their heads, are readily accepted; and I at first + see nothing that corresponds with my suspicions. Then my nurselings + languish, disdain their food, give a careless bite here and there and end + by perishing, from the first to the last, beside their unfinished + victuals. All my attempts miscarry: I do not once succeed in rearing my + larvae to the stage of spinning the cocoon. And yet I am no novice in the + functions of a foster-father. How many pupils have not passed through my + hands and reached maturity in my old sardine-boxes as comfortably as in + their natural burrows! + </p> + <p> + I will not draw rash conclusions from this check; I am conscientious + enough to ascribe it to another cause. It may be that the atmosphere of my + study and the dryness of the sand serving as a bed have had a bad effect + on my charges, whose tender skins are accustomed to the warm moisture of + the subsoil. Let us therefore try another expedient. + </p> + <p> + It is hardly feasible to decide positively by the methods which I have + been following whether the honey is or is not repugnant to the grubs of + the Philanthus. The first mouthfuls consist of meat; and then nothing + particular occurs: it is the natural diet. The honey is met with later, + when the morsel has been largely bitten into. If hesitation and lack of + appetite are displayed at this stage, they come too late in the day to be + conclusive: the larva's discomfort may be due to other, known or unknown, + causes. The thing to do would be to offer the grub honey from the first, + before artificial rearing has affected its appetite. It is useless, of + course, to make the attempt with pure honey: no carnivorous creature would + touch it, though it were starving. The jam-sandwich is the only device + favourable to my plans, a meagre jam-sandwich, that is to say, the dead + Bee lightly smeared or varnished with honey by means of a camel's-hair + pencil. + </p> + <p> + Under these conditions, the problem is solved with the first few + mouthfuls. The grub that has bitten into the honeyed prey draws back in + disgust, hesitates a long time and then, urged by hunger, begins again, + tries this side and that and ends by refusing to touch the dish. For a few + days it pines away on top of its almost intact provisions; then it dies. + All that are subjected to this regimen succumb. Do they merely perish of + inanition in the presence of an unaccustomed food, which revolts their + appetite, or are they poisoned by the small quantity of honey absorbed + with the early mouthfuls? I cannot tell. The fact remains that, whether + poisonous or repugnant, the Bee in the state of bread and jam is death to + them; and this result explains, more clearly than the unfavourable + circumstance of my former experiment, my failures with the Bee that had + not been made to disgorge. + </p> + <p> + This refusal to touch the unwholesome or distasteful honey is connected + with principles of nutrition which are too general to constitute a + gastronomic peculiarity of the Philanthus. The other carnivorous larvae, + at least in the order of the Hymenoptera, are bound to share it. Let us + try. We will go to work as before. I unearth the larvae when they have + attained a medium size, to avoid the weakness of infancy; I take away the + natural provisions, smear the carcases separately with honey and, when + this is done, restore its victuals to each of the grubs. I had to make a + choice: not every subject was equally suited to my experiments. I must + reject the larvae which are fed on one fat joint, such as those of the + Scolia. The grub in fact attacks its prey at a determined point, dips its + head and neck into the insect's body, rooting skilfully in the entrails to + keep the game fresh until the end of the meal, and does not withdraw from + the breach until the whole skin is emptied of its contents. + </p> + <p> + To make it let go with the object of coating the inside of the venison + with honey had two drawbacks: I should be compromising the lingering + vitality which saves the insect that is being devoured from going bad and, + at the same time, I should be disturbing the delicate art of the devouring + insect, which, if removed from the lode which it was working, would no + longer be able to recover it or to distinguish between the lawful and the + unlawful morsels. The larva of the Scolia, consuming its Cetonia-grub, has + taught us all that we want to know on this subject in my earlier volume. + (Chapters 2 to 5 of the present volume contain the whole of the matter + referred to above.—Translator's Note.) The only acceptable larvae + are those supplied with a heap of small insects, which are attacked + without any special art, dismembered at random and eaten up quickly. Among + these I have tested such as chance threw in my way: those of various + Bembeces, all fed on Flies, those of the Palarus, whose bill of fare + consists of a very large assortment of Hymenoptera; those of the Tarsal + Tachytes, supplied with young Locusts; those of the Nest-building + Odynerus, furnished with Chrysomela-grubs; those of the Sand Cerceris, + endowed with a pinch of Weevils. A goodly variety, as you see, of + consumers and consumed. Well, to all of these the seasoning with honey + proved fatal. Whether poisoned or disgusted, they all died in a few days. + </p> + <p> + A strange result indeed! Honey, the nectar of the flowers, the sole diet + of the Bee-tribe in both its forms and the sole resource of the Wasp in + her a adult form, is to the larvae of the latter an object of + insurmountable repugnance and probably a toxic dish. Even the + transformation of the nymphosis surprises me less than this inversion of + the appetite. What happens in the insect's stomach to make the adult seek + passionately what the youngster refused lest it should die? This is not a + question of organic debility unable to endure a too substantial, too hard, + too highly spiced dish. The grub that gnaws the Cetonia-larva, that + generous piece of butcher's meat; the glutton that crunches its batch of + tough Locusts; the one that battens on nitrobenzine-flavoured game: they + certainly own unfastidious gullets and accommodating stomachs. And these + robust eaters allow themselves to die of hunger or digestive troubles + because of a drop of syrup, the lightest food imaginable, suited to the + weakness of extreme youth and a feast for the adult besides! What a gulf + of obscurity in the stomach of a wretched grub! + </p> + <p> + These gastronomical researches called for a counterexperiment. The + carnivorous larva is killed by honey. Conversely, is the mellivorous larva + killed by animal food? Reservations are needful here, as in the previous + tests. We should be courting a flat refusal if we offered a pinch of + Locusts to the larvae of the Anthophora or the Osmia, for instance. (For + both these Wild Bees cf. "Bramble-bees and Others": passim.—Translator's + Note.) The honey-fed insect would not bite into it. There would be no use + whatever in trying. We must find the equivalent of the jam-sandwich + aforesaid; in other words, we must give the larva its natural fare with a + mixture of animal food. The addition made by my artifices shall be + albumen, as found in the egg of the Hen, albumen the isomer of fibrin, + which is the essential factor in any form of prey. + </p> + <p> + On the other hand, the Three-horned Osmia lends herself most admirably to + my plans, because of her dry honey, consisting for the greater part of + floury pollen. I therefore knead this honey with albumen, graduating the + dose until its weight largely exceeds that of the flour. In this way I + obtain pastes of different degrees of consistency, but all firm enough to + bear the larva without danger of immersion. With too fluid a mixture there + would be a risk of death by drowning. Lastly I install a + moderately-developed larva on each of my albuminous cakes. + </p> + <p> + The dish of my inventing does not incite dislike: far from it. The grubs + attack it without hesitation and consume it with every appearance of the + usual appetite. Things could not go better if the food had not been + altered by my culinary recipes. Everything goes down, including the + morsels in which I feared that I had overdone the addition of albumen. And—an + even more important point—the Osmia-larvae fed in this manner attain + their normal dimensions and spin their cocoons, from which adult insects + issue in the following year. Notwithstanding the albuminous regimen, the + cycle of the evolution is achieved without impediment. + </p> + <p> + What are we to conclude from all this? I feel greatly embarrassed. Omne + vivum ex ovo, the physiologists tell us. Every animal is carnivorous, in + its first beginnings: it is formed and nourished at the cost of its egg, + in which albumen predominates. The highest, the mammal, adheres to this + diet for a long time: it has its mother's milk, rich in casein, another + isomer of albumen. The gramnivorous nestling is first fed on grubs, which + are better adapted to the niceties of its stomach; many of the minutest + new-born creatures, being at once left to their own devices, take to + animal food. In this way the original method of nourishment is continued + for all alike: the method which allows flesh to be made from flesh and + blood from blood, with no chemical process beyond the simplest + modification. At maturity, when the stomach has acquired its full + strength, vegetable food is adopted, involving a more complicated + chemistry but easier to obtain. Milk is followed by fodder, worms by + seeds, the prey in the burrow by the nectar of the flowers. + </p> + <p> + This supplies a partial explanation of the twofold diet of the Hymenoptera + with carnivorous larvae: meat first, honey next. But then the note of + interrogation is shifted. It stood elsewhere; it now stands here. Why is + the Osmia, who as a larva fares so well on albumen, fed on honey at the + start? Why do the Bee-tribe receive a vegetable diet when the other + members of the order receive an animal diet? + </p> + <p> + If I were a believer in evolution, I should say yes, by the fact of its + germ, every animal is originally carnivorous. The insect in particular + starts with albuminoid materials. Many larvae adhere to the egg-food, many + adult insects do likewise. But the struggle to fill the belly, which after + all is the struggle for life, demands something better than the precarious + hazards of the chase. Man, at first a ravenous hunter after game, brought + the flock into existence and turned shepherd to avoid a time of dearth. An + even greater progress inspired him to scrape the earth and to sow seed, + which assures him of a living. The evolution from scarcity to moderation + and from moderation to plenty has led to the resources of husbandry. + </p> + <p> + The animals forestalled us this path of progress. The ancestors of the + Philanthus, in the remote ages of the lacustrian tertiary formations, + lived by prey in both the larval and the adult forms: they hunted for + themselves as well as for the family. They did not confine themselves to + emptying the Bee's crop, as their descendants do to this day: they + devoured the deceased. From the beginning to the end they remained + flesh-eaters. Later, fortunate innovators, whose race supplanted the + laggards, discovered an inexhaustible nourishment, obtained without + dangerous conflicts or laborious search: the sugary secretions of the + flowers. The costly habit of living on prey, which does not favour large + populations, was maintained for the feeble larvae; but the vigorous adult + broke herself of it to lead an easier and more prosperous life. Thus, + gradually, was formed the Philanthus of our day; thus was acquired the + twofold diet of the various predatory insects our contemporaries. + </p> + <p> + The Bee has done better still: from the moment of leaving the egg she + delivered herself completely from food-stuffs the acquisition of which + depended on chance. She discovered honey, the grubs' food. Renouncing the + chase for ever and becoming an agriculturalist pure and simple, the insect + attains a degree of physical and moral prosperity which the predatory + species are far from sharing. Hence the flourishing colonies of the + Anthophorae, the Osmiae, the Eucerae (A genus of long-horned Burrowing + Bees.—Translator's Note.), the Halicti and other + honey-manufacturers, whereas the predatory insects work in isolation; + hence the societies in which the Bee displays her wonderful tendencies, + the supreme expression of instinct. + </p> + <p> + This is what I should say if I belonged to that school. It all forms a + chain of very logical deductions and proffers itself with a certain air of + likelihood which we should be glad to find in a host of evolutionist + arguments put forward as irrefutable. Well, I will make a present of my + deductive views, without regret, to whoever cares to have them: I don't + believe one word of them; and I confess my profound ignorance of the + origin of the twofold diet. + </p> + <p> + What I do understand more clearly, after all these investigations, is the + tactics of the Philanthus. When witnessing her ferocious feasting, the + real reason of which was unknown to me, I heaped the most ill-sounding + epithets upon her, calling her a murderess, a bandit, a pirate, a robber + of the dead. Ignorance is always evil-tongued; the man who does not know + indulges in rude assertions and mischievous interpretations. Now that my + eyes have been opened to the facts, I hasten to apologize and to restore + the Philanthus to her place in my esteem. In draining the crops of her + Bees the mother is performing the most praiseworthy of all actions: she is + protecting her family against poison. If she happens to kill on her own + account and to abandon the corpse after making it disgorge, I dare not + reckon this against her as a crime. When the habit has been formed of + emptying the Bee's crop with a good motive, there is a great temptation to + do it again with no other excuse than hunger. Besides, who knows? Perhaps + there is always at the back of her hunting some thought of game which + might be useful for the larvae. Although not carried into effect, the + intention excuses the deed. + </p> + <p> + I therefore withdraw my epithets in order to admire the insect's maternal + logic and to hold it up to the admiration of others. The honey would be + pernicious to the health of the larvae. How does the mother know that the + syrup, a treat for her, is unwholesome for her young? To this question our + science offers no reply. The honey, I say, would imperil the grubs' lives, + The Bee must therefore first be made to disgorge. The disgorging must be + effected without lacerating the victim, which the nurseling must receive + in the fresh state; and the operation is impracticable on a paralysed + insect because of the resistance of the stomach. The Bee must therefore be + killed outright instead of being paralysed, or the honey will not be + voided. Instantaneous death can be inflicted only by wounding the + primordial centre of life. The sting must therefore aim at the cervical + ganglia, the seat of innervation on which the rest of the organism + depends. To reach them there is only one way, through the little gap in + the throat. It is here therefore that the sting must be inserted; and it + is here in fact that it is inserted, in a spot hardly as large as the + twenty-fifth of an inch square. Suppress a single link of this compact + chain, and the Bee-fed Philanthus becomes impossible. + </p> + <p> + That honey is fatal to carnivorous larvae is a fact which teems with + consequences. Several Hunting Wasps feed their families upon Bees. These + include, to my knowledge, the Crowned Philanthus (P. coronatus, FAB.), who + lines her burrows with big Halicti; the Robber Philanthus (P. raptor, + LEP.), who chases all the smaller-sized Halicti, suited to her own + dimensions, indifferently; the Ornate Cerceris (C. ornata, FAB.), another + passionate lover of Halicti; and the Palarus (P. flavipes, FAB.), who, + with a curious eclecticism, stacks in her cells the greater part of the + Hymenopteron clan that does not exceed her powers. What do these four + huntresses and the others of similar habits do with their victims whose + crops are more or less swollen with honey? They must follow the example of + the Bee-eating Philanthus and make them disgorge, lest their family perish + of a honeyed diet; they must manipulate the dead Bee, squeeze her and + drain her dry. Everything goes to show it. I leave it to the future to + display these dazzling proofs of my doctrine in their proper light. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 11. THE METHOD OF THE AMMOPHILAE. (For these Sand-wasps, cf. + </h2> + <p> + "The Hunting Wasps": chapters 13 and 18 to 20.—Translator's Note.) + </p> + <p> + My readers may differ in appraising the comparative value of the trifling + discoveries which entomology owes to my labours. The geologist, the + recorder of forms, will prefer the hypermetamorphosis of the Oil-beetles + (The chapter treating of this subject has not yet been translated into + English and will appear in a later volume.—Translator's Note.), the + development of the Anthrax (Cf. "The Life of the Fly": chapter 2.—Translator's + Note.) or larval dimorphism; the embryogenist, searching into the + mysteries of the egg, will have some esteem for my enquiries into the + egg-laying habits of the Osmia (Cf. "Bramble-bees and Others": chapter 4.—Translator's + Note.); the philosopher, racking his brain over the nature of instinct, + will award the palm to the operations of the Hunting Wasps. I agree with + the philosopher. Without hesitation, I would abandon all the rest of my + entomological baggage for this discovery, which happens to be the earliest + in date and that of which I have the fondest memories. Nowhere do I find a + more brilliant, more lucid, more eloquent proof of the intuitive wisdom of + instinct; nowhere does the theory of evolution suffer a more obstinate + check. + </p> + <p> + Darwin, a true judge, made no mistake about it. (Charles Robert Darwin, + born the 12th of February, 1809, at Shrewsbury, died at Down, in Kent, on + the 19th of April, 1882. For an account of certain experiments which the + author conducted on his behalf, cf. "The Mason-bees": chapter 4.—Translator's + Note.) He greatly dreaded the problem of the instincts. My first results + in particular left him very anxious. If he had known the tactics of the + Hairy Ammophila, the Mantis-hunting Tachytes, the Bee-eating Philanthus, + the Calicurgi and other marauders, his anxiety, I believe, would have + ended in a frank admission that he was unable to squeeze instinct into the + mould of his formula. Alas, the philosopher of Down quitted this world + when the discussion, with experiments to support it, had barely begun: a + method superior to any argument! The little that I had published at that + time left him with still some hope of an explanation. In his eyes, + instinct was always an acquired habit. The predatory Wasps killed their + prey at first by stabbing it at random, here and there, in the softest + parts. By degrees they found the spot where the sting was most effectual; + and the habit once formed became a true instinct. Transitions from one + method of operation to the other, intermediary changes, sufficed to + bolster up these sweeping assertions. In a letter of the 16th of April, + 1881, he asks G.J. Romanes to consider the problem: + </p> + <p> + "I do not know," he says "whether you will discuss in your book on the + mind of animals any of the more complex and wonderful instincts. It is + unsatisfactory work, as there can be no fossilised instincts, and the sole + guide is their state in other members of the same order, and mere + PROBABILITY. + </p> + <p> + "But if you do discuss any (and it will perhaps be expected of you), I + should think that you could not select a better case than that of the + sand-wasps which paralyse their prey as described by Fabre in his + wonderful paper in the 'Anales des sciences naturelles,' and since + amplified in his admirable 'Souvenirs...'" + </p> + <p> + I thank you, O illustrious master, for your eulogistic expressions, + proving the keen interest which you took in my studies of instinct, no + ungrateful task—far from it—when we tackle it as it should be + tackled: from the front, with the aid of facts, and not from the flank, + with the aid of arguments. Arguments are here out of place, if we wish to + maintain our position in the light. Besides, where would they lead us? To + evoking the instincts of bygone ages, which have not been preserved by + fossilization? Any such appeal to the dim and distant past is quite + unnecessary, if we wish for variations of instinct, leading by degrees, + according to you, from one instinct to another; the present world offers + us plenty. + </p> + <p> + Each operator has her particular method, her particular kind of game, her + particular points of attack and tricks of fence; but in the midst of this + variety of talents we observe, immutable and predominant, the perfect + accordance of the surgery with the victim's organization and the larva's + needs. The art of one will not explain the art of another, no less exact + in the delicacy of its rules. Each operator has her own tactics, which + tolerate no apprenticeship. The Ammophila, the Scolia, the Philanthus and + the others all tell us the same thing: none can leave descendants if she + be not from the outset the skilful paralyser or slayer that she is to-day. + The "almost" is impracticable when the future of the race is at stake. + What would have become of the first-born mammal but for its perfect + instinct of suckling? + </p> + <p> + And then, to suppose the impossible: a Wasp discovers by chance the + operative method which will be the saving attribute of her race. How are + we to admit that this fortuitous act, to which the mother has vouchsafed + no more attention than to her other less fortunate attempts, could leave a + profound trace behind it and be faithfully transmitted by heredity? Is it + not going beyond reason, going beyond the little that is known to us as + certain, if we grant to atavism this strange power, of which our present + world knows no instance? There is a good deal to be said for this point of + view, my revered master! But, once more, arguments are here out of place; + there is room only for facts, of which I will resume the recital. + </p> + <p> + Hitherto I had but one means of studying the operative methods of the + spoilers: to surprise the Wasp in possession of her capture, to rob her of + her prey and immediately to give her in exchange a similar prey, but a + living one. This method of substitution is an excellent expedient. Its + only defect—a very grave one—is that it subjects observation + to very uncertain chances. There is little prospect of meeting the insect + dragging its victim along; and, in the second place, should good fortune + suddenly smile upon you, preoccupied as you are with other matters you + have not the substitute at hand. If we provide ourselves with the + necessary head of game in advance, the huntress is not there. We avoid one + reef to founder on another. Moreover, these unlooked for observations, + made sometimes on the public highway, the worst of laboratories, are only + half-satisfactory. In the case of swiftly-enacted scenes, which it is not + in our power to renew again and again until perfect conviction is reached, + we always fear lest we may not have seen accurately, may not have seen + everything. + </p> + <p> + A method which could be controlled at will would offer the best + guarantees, above all if employed at home, under comfortable conditions, + favourable to precision. I wished, therefore, to see my insects at work on + the actual table at which I am writing their history. Here very few of + their secrets would escape me. This wish of mine was an old one. As a + beginner, I made some experiments under glass with the Great Cerceris (C. + tuberculata) and the Yellow-winged Sphex. Neither of them responded to my + desires. The refusal of each to attack respectively her Cleonus or her + Cricket discouraged further progress in this direction. I was wrong to + abandon my attempts so soon. Now, very long afterwards, the idea occurs to + me to place under glass the Bee-eating Philanthus, whom I sometimes + surprise in the open engaged in forcing a bee to disgorge her honey. The + captive massacres her bees in such a spirited fashion that the old hope + revives stronger than ever. I contemplate reviewing all the wielders of + the stiletto and forcing each to reveal her tactics. + </p> + <p> + I was obliged to abate these ambitions considerably. I had some successes + and many more failures. I will tell you of the former. My insect-cage is a + spacious dome of wire-gauze resting on a bed of sand. Here I keep in + reserve the captives of my hunting-expeditions. I feed them on honey, + placed in little drops on spikes of lavender, on heads of thistle, or + field eryngo, or globe-thistle, according to the season. Most of my + prisoners do well on this diet and seem scarcely affected by their + internment; others pine away and die in two or three days. These victims + of despair nearly always throw me back, because of the difficulty of + obtaining the necessary prey at short notice. + </p> + <p> + Indeed it entails no small trouble to secure in the nick of time the game + demanded by the huntress who has recently fallen a captive to my net. As + assistant-purveyors I have a few small schoolboys, who, released from the + tedium of their declensions and conjugations, set out, on leaving the + classroom, to inspect the greenswards and beat the bushes in the + neighbourhood on my behalf. The gros sou, the penny-piece, if you please, + stimulates their zeal; but with misadventurous results! What I need to-day + is Crickets. The band sallies forth and returns with not a single Cricket, + but numbers of Ephippigers, for which I asked the day before yesterday and + which I no longer need, my Languedocian Sphex being dead. General surprise + at this sudden change of market. My young scatterbrains find it hard to + understand that the beast which was so precious two days ago is now of no + value whatever. When, owing to the chances of my net, a renewed demand for + the Ephippiger sets in, then they will bring me the Cricket, the despised + Cricket. + </p> + <p> + Such a trade could never hold out if now and again my speculators were not + encouraged by some success. At the moment when urgent necessity is sending + up prices, one of them brings me a magnificent Gad-fly intended for the + Bembex. For two hours, when the sun was at its height, he kept watch on + the threshing-floor hard by, waiting for the blood-sucker, in order to + catch him on the buttocks of the Mules which trot round and round + trampling the corn. This gallant fellow shall have his gros sou and a + slice of bread and jam as well. A second, no less fortunate, has found a + fat Spider, the Epeira, for whom my Pompili are waiting. To the two sous + of this fortunate youth I add a little picture for his missal. Thus are my + purveyors kept going; and, after all, their help would be very inadequate + if I did not take upon myself the main burden of these wearisome quests. + </p> + <p> + Once in possession of the requisite prey, I transfer the huntress from my + warehouse, the wire-gauze cage, to a bell-glass varying in capacity from + one to three or four litres (1 3/4 to 5 or 7 pints.—Translator's + Note.), according to the size and habits of the combatants; I place the + victim in the arena; I expose the bell-glass to the direct rays of the + sun, without which condition the executioner as a rule declines to + operate; I arm myself with patience and await events. + </p> + <p> + We will begin with the Hairy Ammophila, my neighbour. Year after year, + when April comes, I see her in considerable numbers, very busy on the + paths in my enclosure. Until June I see her digging her burrows and + searching for the Grey Worm, to be placed in the meat-cellar. Her tactics + are the most complex that I know and more than any other deserves to be + thoroughly studied. To capture the cunning vivisector, to release her and + catch her again I find an easy matter for the best part of a month; she + works outside my door. + </p> + <p> + I have still to obtain the Grey Worm. This means a repetition of the + disappointments which I had before, when, to find a caterpillar, I was + obliged to watch the Ammophila while hunting and to be guided by her + hints, as the truffle-hunter is guided by the scent of his Dog. A patient + exploration of the harmas, one tuft of thyme after another, does not give + me a single worm. My rivals in this search are finding their game at every + moment; I cannot find it even once. Yet one more reason for bowing to the + superiority of the insect in the management of her affairs. My band of + schoolboys get to work in the surrounding fields. Nothing, always nothing! + I in my turn explore the outer world; and for ten days the pursuit of a + caterpillar torments me till I lose my power of sleep. Then, at last, + victory! At the foot of a sunny wall, under the budding rosettes of the + panicled centaury, I find a fair supply of the precious Grey Worm or its + equivalent. + </p> + <p> + Behold the worm and the Ammophila face to face beneath the bell-glass. + Usually the attack is prompt enough. The caterpillar is grabbed by the + neck with the mandibles, wide, curved pincers capable of embracing the + greater part of the living cylinder. The creature thus seized twists and + turns and sometimes, with a blow of its tail, sends the assailant rolling + to a distance. The latter is unconcerned and thrusts her sting thrice in + rapid succession into the thorax, beginning with the third segment and + ending with the first, where the weapon is driven home with greater + determination than elsewhere. + </p> + <p> + The caterpillar is then released. The Ammophila stamps on the ground; with + her quivering tarsi she taps the cardboard on which the bell-glass stands; + she lies down flat, drags herself along, gets up again, flattens herself + once more. The wings jerk convulsively. From time to time the insect + places its mandibles and forehead on the ground, then rears high upon its + hind-legs as though to turn head over heels. In all this I see a + manifestation of delight. We rub our hands when rejoicing at a success; + the Ammophila is celebrating her triumph over the monster in her own + fashion. During this fit of delirious joy, what is the wounded caterpillar + doing? It can no longer walk; but all the part behind the thorax struggles + violently, curling and uncurling when the Ammophila sets a foot upon it. + The mandibles open and shut menacingly. + </p> + <p> + SECOND ACT.—When the operation is resumed, the caterpillar is seized + by the back. From front to rear, in order, all the segments are stung on + the ventral surface, except the three operated on. All serious danger is + averted by the stabs of the first act; therefore, the Wasp is now able to + work upon her patient without the haste displayed at the outset. + Deliberately and methodically she drives in her lancet, withdraws it, + selects the spot, stabs it and begins again, passing from segment to + segment, taking care, each time, to lay hold of the back a little more to + the rear, in order to bring the segment to be paralysed within reach of + the needle. For the second time, the caterpillar is released. It is + absolutely inert, except the mandibles, which are still capable of biting. + </p> + <p> + THIRD ACT.—The Ammophila clasps the paralysed victim between her + legs; with the hooks of her mandibles she seizes the back of its neck, at + the base of the first thoracic segment. For nearly ten minutes she munches + this weak spot, which lies close to the cerebral nerve-centres. The + pincers squeeze suddenly but at intervals and methodically, as though the + manipulator wished each time to judge of the effect produced; the squeezes + are repeated until I am tired of trying to count them. When they cease, + the caterpillar's mandibles are motionless. Then comes the transportation + of the carcase, a detail which is not relevant in this place. + </p> + <p> + I have set forth the complete tragedy, as it is fairly often enacted, but + not always. The insect is not a machine, unvarying in the effect of its + mechanism; it is allowed a certain latitude, enabling it to cope with the + eventualities of the moment. Any one expecting to see the incidents of the + struggle unfolding themselves exactly as I have described will risk + disappointment. Special instances occur—they are even numerous—which + are more or less at variance with the general rule. It will be well to + mention the more important, in order to put future observers on their + guard. + </p> + <p> + Not infrequently the first act, that of paralysing the thorax, is + restricted to two thrusts of the sting instead of three, or even to one, + which is then delivered in the foremost segment. This, it would seem, from + the persistency with which the Ammophila inflicts it, is the most + important prick of all. Is it unreasonable to suppose that the operator, + when she begins by pricking the thorax, intends to subdue her capture and + to make it incapable of injuring her, or even of disturbing her when the + moment comes for the delicate and protracted surgery of the second act? + This idea seems to me highly admissible; and then, instead of three + dagger-thrusts, why not two only, why not merely one, if this would + suffice for the time being? The amount of vigour displayed by the + caterpillar must be taken into consideration. Be this as it may, the + segments spared in the first act are stabbed in the second. I have + sometimes even seen the three thoracic segments stung twice over: at the + beginning of the attack and again when the Wasp returned to her vanquished + prey. + </p> + <p> + The Ammophila's triumphant transports beside her wounded and writhing + victim are also subject to exceptions. Sometimes, without releasing its + prey for a moment, the insect proceeds from the thorax to the next + segments and completes its operation in a single spell. The joyous + entr'acte does not take place; the convulsive movements of the wings and + the acrobatic postures are suppressed. + </p> + <p> + The rule is paralysis of all the segments, however many, in regular order + from front to back, including even the anal segment if this boast of legs. + By a fairly frequent exception the last two or three segments are spared. + Another exception, but a very rare one, of which I have observed only a + single instance, consists in the inversion of the dagger-thrusts of the + second act, the thrusts being delivered from back to front. The + caterpillar is then seized by its hinder extremity; and the Ammophila, + progressing towards the head, stings in reverse order, passing from the + succeeding to the preceding segment, including the thorax already stabbed. + This reversal of the usual tactics I am inclined to attribute to + negligence on the insect's part. Negligence or not, the inverted method + has the same final result as the direct method: the paralysis of all the + segments. + </p> + <p> + Lastly, the compression of the neck by the mandibulary pincers, the + munching of the weak spot between the base of the skull and the first + segment of the thorax, is sometimes practised and sometimes neglected. If + the caterpillar's jaws open and threaten, the Ammophila stills them by + biting the neck; if they are already growing quiescent, she refrains. + Without being indispensable, this operation is useful at the moment of + carting the prey. The caterpillar, too heavy to be carried on the wing, is + dragged, head first, between the Ammophila's legs. If the mandibles are + working, the least clumsiness may render them dangerous to the carrier, + who is exposed to their bite without any means of defence. + </p> + <p> + Moreover, once on the way, thickets of grass are traversed in which the + Grey Worm can seize a blade and offer a desperate resistance to the + traction. Nor is this all. The Ammophila does not as a rule trouble about + her burrow, or at least does not complete it, until she has caught her + caterpillar. During the mining-operations, the game is laid somewhere high + up, out of reach of the Ants, on some tuft of grass, or the twigs of a + shrub, whither the huntress, from time to time, stopping her well-sinking, + hastens to see if her quarry is still there. For her this is a means of + refreshing her memory of the spot where she has laid it, often at some + distance from the burrow, and of preventing attempts at robbery. When the + moment comes for removing the game from its hiding-place, the difficulty + would be insurmountable were the worm, gripping the shrub with all the + might of its jaws, to anchor itself there. Hence inertia of the powerful + hooks, which are the paralysed creature's sole means of resistance, + becomes essential during the carting. The Ammophila obtains it by + compressing the cerebral ganglia, by munching the neck. The inertia is + temporary; it wears off sooner or later; but by this time the carcase is + in the cell and the egg, prudently laid at a distance on the ventral + surface of the worm, has nothing to fear from the caterpillar's grapnels. + No comparison is permissible between the methodical squeezes of the + Ammophila benumbing the cephalic nerve-centres and the brutal + manipulations of the Philanthus emptying the crop of her Bee. The huntress + of Grey Worms induces a temporary torpor of the mandibles; the ravisher of + Bees makes them eject their honey. No one gifted with the least + perspicacity will confound the two operations. + </p> + <p> + For the moment we will not dwell any longer on the method of the Hairy + Ammophila; we will see instead how her kinswomen behave. After protracted + refusals the Sandy Ammophila (A. sabulosa, FAB.),on whom I experimented in + September, ended by accepting the proffered prey, a powerful caterpillar + as thick as a lead-pencil. The surgical method did not differ from that + employed by the Hairy Ammophila when operating on her Grey Worm in one + spell. All the segments, excepting the last three, were stung from front + to back, beginning with the prothorax. This single success with a + simplified method left me in ignorance of the accessory manoeuvres, which + I do not doubt must more or less closely recall those of the preceding + species. + </p> + <p> + I am all the more inclined to accept these secondary manoeuvres, not as + yet recorded—the transports of triumph and the compressions of the + neck—inasmuch as I see them practised upon the Looper caterpillars, + which differ so greatly from the others in external structure, exactly as + I have described them in the case of the Grey Worm, which is of the + ordinary form. Two species, the Silky Ammophila (A. holoserica, FAB.) and + Jules' Ammophila (See in the first volume of the "Souvenirs + entomologiques" what I mean by this denomination.—Author's Note.), + affect this curious prey, which moves with the stride of a pair of + compasses. The first, often renewed under glass during the greater part of + August, has always refused my offers; the second, her contemporary, has, + on the contrary, promptly accepted them. + </p> + <p> + I present Jules' Ammophila with a slender, brownish Looper which I caught + on the jasmine. The attack is not slow in coming. The caterpillar is + grabbed by the neck: lively contortions of the victim, which rolls the + aggressor over and drags her along, now uppermost, now undermost in the + struggle. First the thorax is stung, in its three rings, from back to + front. The sting lingers longest near the throat, in the first segment. + This done, the Ammophila releases her victim and proceeds to stamp her + tarsi, to polish her wings, to stretch herself. Again I observe the + acrobatic postures, the forehead touching the ground, the hinder part of + the body raised. This mimic triumph is the same as that of the huntress of + the Grey Worm. Then the Looper is once more seized. Despite its + contortions, which are not in the least abated by the three wounds in the + thorax, it is stung from front to back in each segment still unwounded, no + matter how many, whether supplied with legs or not. I expected to see the + sting refrain more or less in the long interval which separates the true + legs in front from the pro-legs at the back (Fleshy legs found on the + abdominal segments of caterpillars and certain other larvae.—Translator's + Note.): segments devoid of organs of defence or locomotion did not seem to + me to deserve conscientious surgery. I was mistaken: not a segment of the + Looper is spared, not even the last ones. It is true that these, being + eminently capable of catching hold with their false legs, would be + dangerous later were the Wasp to neglect them. + </p> + <p> + I observe, however, that the lancet works more rapidly in the second part + of the operation than in the first, either because the caterpillar, half + subjugated by the triple wound at the outset, is easier to reach with the + sting, or because the segments more remote from the head are rendered + harmless with a smaller injection of poison. Nowhere do we see repeated + the care expended upon paralysing the thorax, still less the insistent + attention to the first segment. On returning to her Looper after the + entr'acte devoted to the joys of success, the Ammophila stabs so swiftly + that, on one occasion, I saw her obliged to begin all over again. Lightly + stung along its whole length, the victim still struggles. Without + hesitation, the operator unsheathes her scalpel for the second time and + operates on the Looper afresh, with the exception of the thorax, which was + already sufficiently anaesthetized. This done, all is in order; there is + no more movement. + </p> + <p> + After the stiletto the hooks of the mandibles rarely fail to intervene. + Long and curved, they nibble at the paralysed victim's neck, sometimes + from above, sometimes from below. It is a repetition of what the Hairy + Ammophila showed us: the same sudden squeezes of the pincers, with rather + long intervals between. These intervals, these measured bites and the + insect's watchful attitude have every appearance of telling us that the + operator is noting the effect produced before giving a fresh pinch of the + nippers. + </p> + <p> + It will be seen how valuable is the evidence of Jules' Ammophila: it tells + us that the immolaters of Looper caterpillars and those of ordinary + caterpillars follow precisely the same method; that victims displaying + very dissimilar external structure do not entail any modification of the + operative tactics so long as the internal organization remains the same. + The number, arrangement and degree of mutual independence of the + nerve-centres guide the sting; the anatomy of the game, rather than its + form, controls the huntress' tactics. + </p> + <p> + Let me mention, before I dismiss the subject, a superb example of this + marvellous anatomical discrimination. I once took from between the legs of + a Hairy Ammophila, which had just paralysed it, a caterpillar of Dicranura + vinula. What a strange capture compared with the ordinary caterpillar! + Bridling in thick folds beneath its pink neckerchief, its fore-part raised + in a sphinx-like attitude, its hinder-part slowly waving two long caudal + threads, the curious animal is no caterpillar to the schoolboy who brings + it to me, nor to the man who comes upon it while cutting his bundle of + osiers; but it is a caterpillar to the Ammophila, who treats it + accordingly. I explore the queer creature's segments with the point of a + needle. All are insensitive; all therefore have been stung. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 12. THE METHOD OF THE SCOLIAE. + </h2> + <p> + After the Ammophilae, the paralysers who multiply their lancet-thrusts to + destroy the influence of the various nerve-centres, excepting those of the + head, it seemed advisable to interrogate other insects which also are + accustomed to a naked prey, vulnerable at all points save the head, but + which deliver only a single thrust of the sting. Of these two conditions + the Scoliae fulfilled one, with their regular quarry, the tender Cetonia-, + Oryctes-or Anoxia-larva, according to the Scolia's species. Did they + fulfil the second? I was convinced beforehand that they did. From the + anatomy of the victims, with their concentrated nervous system, I foresaw, + when compiling my history of the Scoliae, that the sting would be + unsheathed once only; I even mentioned the exact spot into which the + weapon would be plunged. + </p> + <p> + These were assertions dictated by the anatomist's scalpel, without the + slightest direct proof derived from observed facts. Manoeuvres executed + underground escaped the eye, as it seemed to me that they must always do. + How indeed could I hope that a creature whose art is practised in the + darkness of a heap of mould would decide to work in broad daylight? I did + not reckon upon it all. Nevertheless, to salve my conscience, I tried + bringing the Scolia into contact with her prey under the bell-glass. I was + well-advised to do so, for my success was in inverse ratio to my hopes. + Next to the Philanthus, none of the Hunting Wasps displayed such ardour in + attacking under artificial conditions. All the insects experimented upon, + some sooner, some later, rewarded me for my patience. Let us watch the + Two-banded Scolia (S. bifasciata, VAN DER LIND) operating on her Cetonia + grub. + </p> + <p> + The incarcerated larva strives to escape its terrible neighbour. Lying on + its back, it fiercely wends its way round and round the glass circus. + Presently the Scolia's attention awakens and is betrayed by a continued + tapping with the tips of the antennae upon the table, which now represents + the accustomed soil. The Wasp attacks the game, delivering her assault + upon the monster's hinder end. She climbs upon the Cetonia-grub, obtaining + a purchase with the tip of her abdomen. The quarry merely travels the more + quickly on its back, without coiling itself into a defensive posture. The + Scolia reaches the fore-part, with tumbles and other accidents which vary + greatly with the amount of tolerance displayed by the larva, her + improvised steed. With her mandibles she nips a point of the thorax, on + the upper surface; she places herself athwart the beast, arches herself + and makes every effort to reach with the end of her abdomen the region + into which the sting is to be driven. The arch is a little too narrow to + embrace almost the whole circumference of her corpulent prey; and she + renews her attempts and efforts for a long time. The tip of the belly + tries every conceivable expedient, touching here, there and everywhere, + but as yet stopping nowhere. This persistent search in itself demonstrates + the importance which the paralyser attaches to the point at which her + lancet is to penetrate the flesh. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, the larva continues to move along on its back. Suddenly it + curls up; with a stroke of its head it hurls the enemy to a distance. + Undiscouraged by all her set-backs, the Wasp picks herself up, brushes her + wings and resumes her attack upon the colossus, almost always by mounting + the larva's hinder end. At last after all these fruitless attempts, the + Scolia succeeds in achieving the correct position. She is seated athwart + the Cetonia-grub; the mandibles grip a point on the dorsal surface of the + thorax; the body, bent into a bow, passes under the larva and with the tip + of the belly reaches the region of the neck. The Cetonia-grub, placed in + serious peril, writhes, coils and uncoils itself, spinning round upon its + axis. The Scolia does not interfere. Holding the victim tightly gripped, + she turns with it, allows herself to be dragged upwards, downwards, + sidewards, following its contortions. Her obstinacy is such that I can now + remove the bell-glass and follow the details of the drama in the open. + </p> + <p> + Briefly, in spite of the turmoil, the tip of the abdomen feels that the + right spot has been found. Then and only then the sting is unsheathed. It + plunges in. The thing is done. The larva, at first plump and active, + suddenly becomes flaccid and inert. It is paralysed. Henceforth there are + no movements save of the antennae and the mouthparts, which will for a + long time yet bear witness to a remnant of life. The point wounded has + never varied in the series of combats under glass: it occupies the middle + of the line of demarcation between the prothorax and the mesothorax, on + the ventral surface. Note that the Cerceres, operating on Weevils, whose + nervous system is as compact as the Cetonia-grub's, drive in the needle at + the same spot. Similarity of nervous organization occasions similarity of + method. Note also that the Scolia's sting remains in the wound for some + time and roots about with marked persistence. Judging by the movements of + the tip of the abdomen, one would certainly say that the weapon is + exploring and selecting. Free to shift in one direction or the other, + within narrow limits, its point is most probably seeking for the little + mass of nerve-tissue which must be pricked, or at least sprinkled with + poison, to obtain overwhelming paralysis. + </p> + <p> + I will not close this report of the duel without relating a few further + facts, of minor importance. The Two-banded Scolia is a fierce persecutor + of the Cetonia. In one sitting the same mother stabs three larvae, one + after the other, in front of my eyes. She refuses the fourth, perhaps + owing to fatigue or to exhaustion of the poison-bag. Her refusal is only + temporary. Next day, she begins again and paralyses two grubs; the day + after that, she does the same, but with a zeal that decreases from day to + day. + </p> + <p> + The other Hunting Wasps that pursue the chase far afield grip, drag, carry + their prey, after depriving it of movement, each in her own fashion and, + laden with their burden, make prolonged attempts to escape from the + bell-glass and to gain the burrow. Discouraged by these futile endeavours, + they abandon them at last. The Scolia does not remove her quarry, which + lies on its back for an indefinite time on the actual spot of the + sacrifice. When she has withdrawn her dagger from the wound, she leaves + her victim where it lies and, without taking further notice of it, begins + to flutter against the side of the glass. The paralysed carcase is not + transported elsewhere, into a special cellar; there where the struggle has + occurred it receives, upon its extended abdomen, the egg whence the + consumer of the succulent tit-bit will emerge, thus saving the expense of + setting up house. It goes without saying that under the bell-glass the + laying does not take place: the mother is too cautious to abandon her egg + to the perils of the open air. + </p> + <p> + Why then, recognizing the absence of her underground burrow, does the + Scolia uselessly pursue the Cetonia with the frantic ardour of the + Philanthus flinging herself upon the Bee? The action of the Philanthus is + explained by her passion for honey; hence the murders committed in excess + of the needs of her family. The Scolia leaves us perplexed: she takes + nothing from the Cetonia-grub, which is left without an egg; she stabs, + though well aware of the uselessness of her action: the heap of mould is + lacking and it is not her custom to transport her prey. The other + prisoners, once the blow is struck, at least seek to escape with their + capture between their legs; the Scolia attempts nothing. + </p> + <p> + After due reflection, I lump together in my suspicions all these surgeons + and ask myself whether they possess the slightest foresight, where the egg + is concerned. When, exhausted by their burden, they recognize the + impossibility of escape, the more expert among them ought not to begin all + over again; yet they do so begin a few minutes later. These wonderful + anatomists know absolutely nothing about anything, they do not even know + what their victims are good for. Admirable artists in killing and + paralysis, they kill or paralyse at every favourable opportunity, no + matter what the final result as regards the egg. Their talent, which + leaves our science speechless, has not a shadow of consciousness of the + task accomplished. + </p> + <p> + A second detail strikes me: the desperate persistence of the Scolia. I + have seen the struggle continue for more than a quarter of an hour, with + frequent alternations of good luck and bad, before the Wasp achieved the + required position and reached with the end of her abdomen the spot where + the sting should penetrate. During these assaults, which were resumed as + soon as they were repulsed, the aggressor repeatedly applied the tip of + her belly to the larva, but without unsheathing, as I could see by the + absence of the start which the larva gives when it feels the pain of the + sting. The Scolia therefore does not prick the Cetonia anywhere until the + weapon covers the requisite spot. If no wounds are inflicted elsewhere, + this is not in any way due to the structure of the larva, which is soft + and vulnerable all over, except in the head. The point sought by the sting + is no more unprotected than any other part of the skin. + </p> + <p> + In the scuffle, the Scolia, curved into a bow, is sometimes seized by the + vice-like grip of the Cetonia-grub, which is violently coiling and + uncoiling. Heedless of the powerful grip, the Wasp does not let go for a + moment, either with her mandibles or with the tip of her abdomen. At such + times the two creatures, locked in a mutual embrace, turn over and over in + a mad whirl, each of them now on top, now underneath. When it contrives to + rid itself of its enemy, the larva uncoils again, stretches itself out and + proceeds to make off upon its back with all possible speed. Its defensive + ruses are exhausted. Formerly, before I had seen things for myself, taking + probability as my guide I willingly granted to the larva the trick of the + Hedgehog, who rolls himself into a ball and sets the Dog at defiance. + Coiled upon itself, with an energy which my fingers have some difficulty + in overcoming, the larva, I thought, would defy the Scolia, powerless to + unroll it and disdaining any point but the one selected. I hoped and + believed that it possessed this means of defence, a means both efficacious + and extremely simple. I had presumed too much upon its ingenuity. Instead + of imitating the Hedgehog and remaining contracted, it flees, belly in + air; it foolishly adopts the very posture which allows the Scolia to mount + to the assault and to reach the spot for the fatal stroke. The silly beast + reminds me of the giddy Bee who comes and flings herself into the clutches + of the Philanthus. Yet another who has learnt no lesson from the struggle + for life. + </p> + <p> + Let us proceed to further examples. I have just captured an Interrupted + Scolia (Colpa interrupta, LATR.), exploring the sand, doubtless in search + of game. It is a matter of making the earliest possible use of her, before + her spirit is chilled by the tedium of captivity. I know her prey, the + larva of Anoxia australis (The Anoxia are a genus of Beetles akin to the + Cockchafers.—Translator's Note.); I know, from my past excavations, + the points favoured by the grub: the mounds of sand heaped up by the wind + at the foot of the rosemaries on the neighbouring hill-sides. It will be a + hard job to find it, for nothing is rarer than the common if one wants it + then and there. I appeal for assistance to my father, an old man of + ninety, still straight as a capital I. Under a sun hot enough to broil an + egg, we set off, shouldering a navvy's shovel and a three-pronged luchet. + (The local pitchfork of southern France.—Translator's Note.) + Employing our feeble energies in turns, we dig a trench in the sand where + I hope to find the Anoxia. My hopes are not disappointed. After having by + the sweat of our brow—never was the expression more justified—removed + and sifted two cubic yards at least of sandy soil with our fingers, we + find ourselves in possession of two larvae. If I had not wanted any, I + should have turned them up by the handful. But my poor and costly harvest + is sufficient for the moment. To-morrow I will send more vigorous arms to + continue the work of excavation. + </p> + <p> + And now let us reward ourselves for our trouble by studying the tragedy in + the bell-glass. Clumsy, awkward in her movements, the Scolia slowly goes + the round of the circus. At the sight of the game, her attention is + aroused. The struggle is announced by the same preparations as those + displayed by the Two-banded Scolia: the Wasp polishes her wings and taps + the table with the tips of her antennae. And view, halloo! The attack + begins. Unable to move on a flat surface, because of its short and feeble + legs, deprived moreover of the Cetonia-larva's eccentric means of + travelling on its back, the portly grub has no thought of fleeing; it + coils itself up. The Scolia, with her powerful pincers, grips its skin now + here, now elsewhere. Curved into a circle with the two ends almost + touching, she strives to thrust the tip of her abdomen into the narrow + opening in the coil formed by the larva. The contest is conducted calmly, + without violent bouts at each varying accident. It is the determined + attempt of a living split ring trying to slip one of its ends into another + living split ring, which with equal determination refuses to open. The + Scolia holds the victim subdued with her legs and mandibles; she tries one + side, then the other, without managing to unroll the circle, which + contracts still more as it feels its danger increasing. The actual + circumstances make the operation more difficult: the prey slips and rolls + about the table when the insect handles it too violently; there are no + points of purchase and the sting cannot reach the desired spot; the + fruitless efforts are continued for more than an hour, interrupted by + periods of rest, during which the two adversaries represent two narrow, + interlocked rings. + </p> + <p> + What ought the powerful Cetonia-grub to do to defy the Two-banded Scolia, + who is far less vigorous than her victim? It should imitate the + Anoxia-larva and remain rolled up like a Hedgehog until the enemy retires. + It tries to escape, unrolls itself and is lost. The other does not stir + from its posture of defence and resists successfully. Is this due to + acquired caution? No, but to the impossibility of doing otherwise on the + slippery surface of a table. Clumsy, obese, weak in the legs, curved into + a hook like the common White Worm (The larva of the Cockchafer.—Translator's + Note.), the Anoxia-larva is unable to move along a smooth surface; it + writhes laboriously, lying on its side. It needs the shifting soil in + which, using its mandibles as a plough-share, it digs into the ground and + buries itself. + </p> + <p> + Let us try if sand will shorten the struggle, for I see no end to it yet, + after more than an hour of waiting. I lightly powder the arena. The attack + is resumed with a vengeance. The larva, feeling the sand, its native + element, tries to escape. Imprudent creature! Did I not say that its + obstinacy in remaining rolled up was due to no acquired prudence but to + the necessity of the moment? The sad experience of past adversities has + not yet taught it the precious advantage which it might derive from + keeping its coils closed so long as danger remains. For that matter, on + the unyielding support of my table, they are not one and all so cautious. + The larger seem even to have forgotten what they knew so well in their + youth: the defensive art of coiling themselves up. + </p> + <p> + I continue my story with a fine-sized specimen, less likely to slip under + the Scolia's onslaught. When attacked, the larva does not curl up, does + not shrink into a ring as did the last, which was younger and only half as + large. It struggles awkwardly, lying on its side, half-open. For all + defence it twists about; it opens, closes and reopens the great hooks of + its mandibles. The Scolia grabs it at random, clasps it in her shaggy legs + and for nearly a quarter of an hour battles with the luscious tit-bit. At + last, after a not very tumultuous struggle, when the favourable position + is attained and the propitious moment has come, the sting is implanted in + the creature's thorax, in a central point, below the throat, level with + the fore-legs. The effect is instantaneous: total inertia, except of the + appendages of the head, the antennae and mouth-parts. I achieved the same + results, the same prick at a definite, invariable point, with my several + operators, renewed from time to time by some lucky cast of the net. + </p> + <p> + Let us mention, in conclusion, that the attack of the Interrupted Scolia + is far less fierce than that of the Two-banded Scolia. The Wasp, a rough + sand-digger, has a clumsy gait; her movements are stiff and almost + automatic. She does not find it easy to repeat her dagger-thrust. Most of + the specimens with which I experimented refused a second victim on the + first two days after their exploits. As though somnolent, they did not + stir unless excited by my teasing them with a bit of straw. Although more + active and more ardent in the chase, the Two-banded Scolia likewise does + not draw her weapon every time that I invite her. For all these huntresses + there are moments of inaction which the presence of a fresh prey is + powerless to disturb. + </p> + <p> + The Scoliae have taught me nothing further, in the absence of subjects + belonging to other species. No matter: the results obtained represent no + small triumph for my ideas. Before seeing the Scoliae operate, I said, + guided solely by the anatomy of the victims, that the Cetonia-, Anoxia- + and Oryctes-larvae must be paralysed by a single thrust of the lancet; I + even named the point where the sting must strike, a central point, in the + immediate vicinity of the fore-legs. Of the three genera of paralysers, + two have allowed me to witness their surgical methods, which the third, I + feel certain, will confirm. In both cases, a single thrust of the lancet; + in both cases, injection of the venom at a predetermined point. A + calculator in an observatory could not compute the position of his planet + with greater accuracy. An idea may be taken as proved when it attains to + this mathematical forecast of the future, this certain knowledge of the + unknown. When will the acclaimers of chance achieve a like success? Order + appeals to order; and chance knows no laws. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 13. THE METHOD OF THE CALICURGI. + </h2> + <p> + The non-armoured victims, vulnerable by the sting over almost their whole + body, ordinary caterpillars and Looper caterpillars, Cetonia- and + Anoxia-larvae, whose only means of defence, apart from their mandibles, + consists of rollings and contortions, called for the testimony of another + victim, the Spider, almost as ill-protected, but armed with formidable + poison-fangs. How, in particular, will the Ringed Calicurgus set to work + in operating on the Black-bellied Tarantula, the terrible Lycosa, who with + a single bite kills the Mole or the Sparrow and endangers the life of man? + How does the bold Pompilus overcome an adversary more powerful than + herself, better-equipped with virulent poison and capable of making a meal + of her assailant? Of all the Hunting Wasps, none risks such unequal + conflicts, in which appearances would proclaim the aggressor to be the + victim and the victim the aggressor. + </p> + <p> + The problem was one deserving patient study. True, I foresaw, from the + Spider's organization, a single sting in the centre of the thorax; but + that did not explain the victory of the Wasp, emerging safe and sound from + her tussle with such a quarry. I had to see what occurred. The chief + difficulty was the scarcity of the Calicurgus. It is easy for me to obtain + the Tarantula at the desired moment: the part of the plateau in my + neighbourhood left untilled by the vine-growers provides me with as many + as are necessary. To capture the Pompilus is another matter. I have so + little hope of finding her that special quests are regarded as useless. To + search for her would perhaps be just the way not to find her. Let us rely + on the uncertainties of chance. Shall I get her or shall I not? + </p> + <p> + I've got her. I catch her unexpectedly on the flowers. Next day I supply + myself with half a dozen Tarantulae. Perhaps I shall be able to employ + them one after the other in repeated duels. As I return from my + Lycosa-hunt, luck smiles upon me again and crowns my desires. A second + Calicurgus offers herself to my net; she is dragging her heavy, paralysed + Spider by one leg, in the dust of the highway. I attach great value to my + find: the laying of the egg has become a pressing matter; and the mother, + I believe, will accept a substitute for her victim without much + hesitation. Here then are my two captives, each under her bell-glass with + her Tarantula. + </p> + <p> + I am all eyes. What a tragedy there will be in a moment! I wait, + anxiously... But... but... what is this? Which of the two is the assailed? + Which is the assailant? The characters seem to be inverted. The + Calicurgus, unable to climb up the smooth glass wall, strides round the + ring of the circus. With a proud and rapid gait, her wings and antennae + vibrating, she goes and returns. The Lycosa is soon seen. The Calicurgus + approaches her without the least sign of fear, walks round her and appears + to have the intention of seizing one of her legs. But at that moment the + Tarantula rises almost vertically on her four hinder legs, with her four + front legs lifted and outspread, ready for the counterstroke. The + poison-fangs gape widely; a drop of venom moistens their tips. The very + sight of them makes my flesh creep. In this terrible attitude, presenting + her powerful thorax and the black velvet of her belly to the enemy, the + Spider overawes the Pompilus, who suddenly turns tail and moves away. The + Lycosa then closes her bundle of poisoned daggers and resumes her natural + pose, standing on her eight legs; but, at the slightest attempt at + aggression on the Wasp's part, she resumes her threatening position. + </p> + <p> + She does more: suddenly she leaps and flings herself upon the Calicurgus; + swiftly she clasps her and nibbles at her with her fangs. Without wielding + her sting in self-defence, the other disengages herself and merges + unscathed from the angry encounter. Several times in succession I witness + the attack; and nothing serious ever befalls the Wasp, who swiftly + withdraws from the fray and appears to have received no hurt. She resumes + her marching and countermarching no less boldly and swiftly than before. + </p> + <p> + Is this Wasp invulnerable, that she thus escapes from the terrible fangs? + Evidently not. A real bite would be fatal to her. Big, sturdily built + Acridians succumb (Locusts and Grasshoppers.—Translator's Note.); + how is it that she, with her delicate organism, does not! The Spider's + daggers, therefore, make no more than an idle feint; their points do not + enter the flesh of the tight-clasped Wasp. If the strokes were real, I + should see bleeding wounds, I should see the fangs close for a moment on + the part seized; and with all my attention I cannot detect anything of the + kind. Then are the fangs powerless to pierce the Wasp's integuments? Not + so. I have seen them penetrate, with a crackling of broken armour, the + corselet of the Acridians, which offers a far greater resistance. Once + again, whence comes this strange immunity of the Calicurgus held between + the legs and assailed by the daggers of the Tarantula? I do not know. + Though in mortal peril from the enemy confronting her, the Lycosa + threatens her with her fangs and cannot decide to bite, owing to a + repugnance which I do not undertake to explain. + </p> + <p> + Obtaining nothing more than alarums and excursions of no great + seriousness, I think of modifying the gladiatorial arena and approximating + it to natural conditions. The soil is very imperfectly represented by my + work-table; and the Spider has not her fortress, her burrow, which plays a + part of some importance both in attack and in defence. A short length of + reed is planted perpendicularly in a large earthenware pan filled with + sand. This will be the Lycosa's burrow. In the middle I stick some heads + of globe-thistle garnished with honey as a refectory for the Pompilus; a + couple of Locusts, renewed as and when consumed, will sustain the + Tarantula. These comfortable quarters, exposed to the sun, receive the two + captives under a wire-gauze dome, which provides adequate ventilation for + a prolonged residence. + </p> + <p> + My artifices come to nothing; the session closes without result. A day + passes, two days, three; still nothing happens. The Pompilus is assiduous + in her visits to the honeyed flower-clusters; when she has eaten her fill, + she clambers up the dome and makes interminable circuits of the netting; + the Tarantula quietly munches her Locust. If the other passes within + reach, she swiftly raises herself and waves her off. The artificial + burrow, the reed-stump, fulfills its purpose excellently. The Lycosa and + the Pompilus resort to it in turns, but without quarrelling. And that is + all. The drama whose prologue was so full of promise appears to be + indefinitely postponed. + </p> + <p> + I have a last resource, on which I base great hopes: it is to remove my + two Calicurgi to the very site of their investigations and to install them + at the door of the Spider's lodging, at the top of the natural burrow. I + take the field with an equipment which I am carrying across the country + for the first time: a glass bell-jar, a wire-gauze cover and the various + implements needed for handling and transferring my irascible and dangerous + subjects. My search for burrows among the pebbles and the tufts of thyme + and lavender is soon successful. + </p> + <p> + Here is a splendid one. I learn by inserting a straw that it is inhabited + by a Tarantula of a size suited to my plans. The soil around the aperture + is cleared and flattened to receive the wire-gauze, under which I place a + Pompilus. This is the time to light a pipe and wait, lying on the + pebbles...Yet another disappointment. Half an hour goes by; and the Wasp + confines herself to travelling round and round the netting as she did in + my study. She gives no sign of greed when confronted with the burrow, + though I can see the Tarantula's diamond eyes glittering at the bottom. + </p> + <p> + The trellised wall is replaced by the glass wall, which, since it does not + allow her to scale its heights, will oblige the Wasp to remain on the + ground and at last to take cognizance of the shaft, which she seems to + ignore. This time we have done the trick! + </p> + <p> + After a few circuits of her cage, the Calicurgus notices the pit yawning + at her feet. She goes down it. This daring confounds me. I should never + have ventured to anticipate as much. That she should suddenly fling + herself upon the Tarantula when the latter is outside her stronghold, well + and good; but to rush into the lair, when the terrible monster is waiting + for you below with those two poisoned daggers of hers! What will come of + such temerity? A buzzing of wings ascends from the depths. Run to earth in + her private apartments, the Lycosa is no doubt at grips with the intruder. + That hum of wings is the Calicurgus' paean of triumph, until it be her + death-song. The slayer may well be the slain. Which of the two will come + up alive? + </p> + <p> + It is the Lycosa, who hurriedly scampers out and posts herself just over + the orifice of the burrow, in her posture of defence, her fangs open, her + four front legs uplifted. Can the other have been stabbed? Not at all, for + she emerges in her turn, not without receiving on the way a cuff from the + Spider, who immediately regains her lair. Dislodged from her basement a + second and yet a third time, the Tarantula always comes up unwounded; she + always awaits her adversary on her threshold, administers punishment and + reenters her dwelling. In vain do I try my two Pompili alternately and + change the burrow; I do not succeed in observing anything else. Certain + conditions not realized by my stratagems are lacking to complete the + tragedy. + </p> + <p> + Discouraged by the repetition of my futile attempts, I throw up the game, + the richer however by one fact of some value: the Calicurgus, without the + least fear, descends into the Tarantula's den and dislodges her. I imagine + that things happen in the same fashion outside my cages. When expelled + from her dwelling, the Spider is more timid and more vulnerable to attack. + Moreover, while hampered by a narrow shaft, the operator would not wield + her lancet with the precision called for by her designs. The bold + irruption shows us once again, more plainly than the tussles on my table, + the Lycosa's reluctance to sink her fangs into her enemy's body. When the + two are face to face at the bottom of the lair, then or never is the + moment to have it out with the foe. The Tarantula is in her own house, + with all its conveniences; every nook and corner of the bastion is + familiar to her. The intruder's movements are hampered by her ignorance of + the premises. Quick, my poor Lycosa, quick, a bite; and it's all up with + your persecutor! But you refrain, I know not why, and your reluctance is + the saving of the rash invader. The silly Sheep does not reply to the + butcher's knife by charging with lowered horns. Can it be that you are the + Pompilus' Sheep? + </p> + <p> + My two subjects are reinstalled in my study under their wire-gauze covers, + with bed of sand, reed-stump burrow and fresh honey, complete. Here they + find again their first Lycosae, fed upon Locusts. Cohabitation continues + for three weeks without other incidents than scuffles and threats which + become less frequent day by day. No serious hostility is displayed on + either side. At last the Calicurgi die: their day is over. A pitiful end + after such an enthusiastic beginning. + </p> + <p> + Shall I abandon the problem? Why, not a bit of it! I have encountered + greater difficulties, but they have never deterred me from a + warmly-cherished project. Fortune favours the persevering. She proves as + much by offering me, in September, a fortnight after the death of my + Tarantula-huntresses, another Calicurgus, captured for the first time. + This is the Harlequin Calicurgus (C. scurra, LEP.), who sports the same + gaudy costume as the first and is almost of the same size. + </p> + <p> + Now what does this newcomer, of whom I know nothing, want? A Spider, that + is certain; but which? A huntress like this will need a corpulent quarry: + perhaps the Silky Epeira (E. serica), perhaps the Banded Epeira (E. + fasciata), the largest Spiders in the district, next to the Tarantula. The + first of these spreads her large upright net, in which Locusts are caught, + from one clump of brushwood to another. I find her in the copses on the + neighbouring hills. The second stretches hers across the ditches and the + little streams frequented by the Dragon-flies. I find her near the Aygues, + beside the irrigation-canals fed by the torrent. A couple of trips + procures me the two Epeirae, whom I offer to my captive next day, both at + the same time. It is for her to choose according to her taste. + </p> + <p> + The choice is soon made: the Banded Epeira is the one preferred. But she + does not yield without protest. On the approach of the Wasp, she rises and + assumes a defensive attitude, just like that of the Lycosa. The Calicurgus + pays no attention to threats: under her harlequin's coat, she is violent + in attack and quick on her legs. There is a rapid exchange of fisticuffs; + and the Epeira lies overturned on her back. The Pompilus is on top of her, + belly to belly, head to head; with her legs she masters the Spider's legs; + with her mandibles she grips the cephalothorax. She curves her abdomen, + bringing the tip of it beneath her; she draws her sting and... + </p> + <p> + One moment, reader, if you please. Where is the sting about to strike? + From what we have learnt from the other paralysers, it will be driven into + the breast, to suppress the movement of the legs. That is your opinion; it + was also mine. Well, without blushing too deeply at our common and very + excusable error, let us confess that the insect knows better than we do. + It knows how to assure success by a preparatory manoeuvre of which you and + I had never dreamt. Ah, what a school is that of the animals! Is it not + true that, before striking the adversary, you should take care not to get + wounded yourself? The Harlequin Pompilus does not disregard this counsel + of prudence. The Epeira carries beneath her throat two sharp daggers, with + a drop of poison at their points; the Calicurgus is lost if the Spider + bites her. Nevertheless, her anaesthetizing demands perfect steadiness of + the lancet. What is to be done in the face of this danger which might + disconcert the most practised surgeon? The patient must first be disarmed + and then operated on. + </p> + <p> + And in fact the Calicurgus' sting, aimed from back to front, is driven + into the Epeira's mouth, with minute precautions and marked persistency. + On the instant, the poison-fangs close lifelessly and the formidable + quarry is powerless to harm. The Wasp's abdomen then extends its arc and + drives the needle behind the fourth pair of legs, on the median line, + almost at the junction of the belly and the cephalothorax. At this point + the skin is finer and more easily penetrable than elsewhere. The remainder + of the thoracic surface is covered with a tough breast-plate which the + sting would perhaps fail to perforate. The nerve-centres, the source of + the leg-movements, are situated a little above the wounded point, but the + back-to-front direction of the sting makes it possible to reach them. This + last wound results in the paralysis of all the eight legs at once. + </p> + <p> + To enlarge upon it further would detract from the eloquence of this + performance. First of all, to safeguard the operator, a stab in the mouth, + that point so terribly armed, the most formidable of all; then, to + safeguard the larva, a second stab in the nerve-centres of the thorax, to + suppress the power of movement. I certainly suspected that the slayers of + robust Spiders were endowed with special talents; but I was far from + expecting their bold logic, which disarms before it paralyses. So the + Tarantula-huntress must behave, who, under my bell-glasses, refused to + surrender her secret. I now know what her method is; it has been divulged + by a colleague. She throws the terrible Lycosa upon her back, pricks her + prickers by stinging her in the mouth and then, in comfort, with a single + thrust of the lancet, obtains paralysis of the legs. + </p> + <p> + I examine the Epeira immediately after the operation and the Tarantula + when the Calicurgus is dragging her by one leg to her burrow, at the foot + of some wall. For a little while longer, a minute at most, the Epeira + convulsively moves her legs. So long as these throes continue, the + Pompilus does not release her prey. She seems to watch the progress of the + paralysis. With the tips of her mandibles she explores the Spider's mouth + several times over, as though to ascertain if the poison-fangs are really + innocuous. When all movement subsides, the Pompilus makes ready to drag + her prey elsewhere. It is then I take charge of it. + </p> + <p> + What strikes me more than anything else is the absolute inertia of the + fangs, which I tickle with a straw without succeeding in rousing them from + their torpor. The palpi, on the other hand, their immediate neighbours, + wave at the least touch. The Epeira is placed in safety, in a flask, and + undergoes a fresh examination a week later. Irritability has in part + returned. Under the stimulus of a straw, I see her legs move a little, + especially the lower joints, the tibiae and tarsi. The palpi are even more + irritable and mobile. These different movements, however, are lacking in + vigour and coordination; and the Spider cannot employ them to turn over, + much less to escape. As for the poison-fangs, I stimulate them in vain: I + cannot get them to open or even to stir. They are therefore profoundly + paralysed and in a special manner. The peculiar insistence of the sting + when the mouth was stabbed told me as much in the beginning. + </p> + <p> + At the end of September, almost a month after the operation, the Epeira is + in the same condition, neither dead nor alive: the palpi still quiver when + touched with a straw, but nothing else moves. At length, after six or + seven weeks' lethargy, real death supervenes, together with its comrade, + putrefaction. + </p> + <p> + The Tarantula of the Ringed Calicurgus, as I take her from the owner at + the moment of transportation, presents the same peculiarities. The + poison-fangs are no longer irritable when tickled with my straw: a fresh + proof, added to those of analogy, to show that the Lycosa, like the + Epeira, has been stung in the mouth. The palpi, on the other hand, are and + will be for weeks highly irritable and mobile. I wish to emphasise this + point, the importance of which will be recognized presently. + </p> + <p> + I found it impossible to provoke a second attack from my Harlequin + Calicurgus: the tedium of captivity did not favour the exercise of her + talents. Moreover, the Epeira sometimes had something to do with her + refusals; a certain ruse de guerre which was twice employed before my eyes + may well have baffled the aggressor. Let me describe the incident, if only + to increase our respect a little for these foolish Spiders, who are + provided with perfected weapons and do not dare to make use of them + against the weaker but bolder assailant. + </p> + <p> + The Epeira occupies the wall of the wire-gauze cage, with her eight legs + wide-spread upon the trelliswork; the Calicurgus is wheeling round the top + of the dome. Seized with panic at the sight of the approaching enemy, the + Spider drops to the ground, with her belly upwards and her legs gathered + together. The other dashes forward, clasps her round the body, explores + her and prepares to sting her in the mouth. But she does not bare her + weapon. I see her bending attentively over the poisoned fangs, as though + to investigate their terrible mechanism; she then goes away. The Spider is + still motionless, so much so that I really believe her dead, paralysed + unknown to me, at a moment when I was not looking. I take her from the + cage to examine her comfortably. No sooner is she placed on the table than + behold, she comes to life again and promptly scampers off! The cunning + creature was shamming death beneath the Wasp's stiletto, so artfully that + I was taken in. She deceived an enemy more cunning than myself, the + Pompilus, who inspected her very closely and took her for a corpse + unworthy of her dagger. Perhaps the simple creature, like the Bear in the + fable of old, already noticed the smell of high meat. + </p> + <p> + This ruse, if ruse it be, appears to me more often than not to turn to the + disadvantage of the Spider, whether Tarantula, Epeira or another. The + Calicurgus who has just put the Spider on her back after a brisk fight + knows quite well that her prostrate foe is not dead. The latter, thinking + to protect itself, simulates the inertia of a corpse; the assailant + profits by this to deliver her most perilous blow, the stab in the mouth. + Were the fangs, each tipped with its drop of poison, to open then; were + they to snap, to give a desperate bite, the Pompilus would not dare to + expose the tip of her abdomen to their deadly scratch. The shamming of + death is exactly what enables the huntress to succeed in her dangerous + operation. They say, O guileless Epeirae, that the struggle for life has + taught you to adopt this inert attitude for purposes of defence. Well, the + struggle for life was a very bad counsellor. Trust rather to common sense + and learn, by degrees, at your own cost, that to hit back, above all if + you can do so promptly, is still the best way to intimidate the enemy. + (Fabre does not believe in the actual shamming of death by animals. Cf. + "The Glow-worm and Other Beetles," by J. Henri Fabre, translated by + Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapters 8 to 15.—Translator's Note.) + </p> + <p> + The remainder of my observations on these insects under glass is little + more than a long series of failures. Of two operators on Weevils, one, the + Sandy Cerceris (C. arenaria), persistently scorned the victims offered; + the other, Ferrero's Cerceris (C. Ferreri), allowed herself to be empted + after two days' captivity. Her tactical method, as I expected, is + precisely that of the Cleonus-huntress, the Great Cerceris, with whom my + investigations commenced. When confronted with the Acorn-weevil, she + seizes the insect by the snout, which is immensely long and shaped like a + pipe-stem, and plants her sting in its body to the rear of the prothorax, + between the first and second pair of legs. It is needless to insist: the + spoiler of the Cleoni has taught us enough about this mode of operation + and its results. + </p> + <p> + None of the Bembex-wasps, whether chosen among the huntresses of the + Gadfly or among the lovers of the House-fly rabble, satisfied my + aspirations. Their method is as unknown to me now as at the distant period + when I used to watch it in the Bois des Issards. (Cf. "The Hunting Wasps": + chapters 14 to 18.—Translator's Note.) Their impetuous flight, their + love of long journeys are incompatible with captivity. Stunned by + colliding with the walls of their glass or wire-gauze prison, they all + perish within twenty-four hours. Swifter in their movements and apparently + satisfied with their honeyed thistle-heads, the Spheges, huntresses of + Crickets or Ephippigers, die as quickly of nostalgia. All I offer them + leaves them indifferent. + </p> + <p> + Nor can I get anything out of the Eumenes, notably the biggest of them, + the builder of gravel cupolas, Amedeus' Eumenes. All the Pompili, except + the Harlequin Calicurgus, refuse my Spiders. The Palarus, who preys upon + an indefinite number of the Hymenopteron clan, refuses to tell me if she + drinks the honey of the Bees, as does the Philanthus, or if she lets the + others go without manipulating them to make them disgorge. The Tachytes do + not vouchsafe their Locusts a glance; Stizus ruficornis promptly gives up + the ghost, disdaining the Praying Mantis which I provide for her. + </p> + <p> + What is the use of continuing this list of checks? The rule may be + gathered from these few examples: occasional successes and many failures. + What can be the reason? With the exception of the Philanthus, tempted from + time to time by a bumper of honey, the predatory Wasps do not hunt on + their own account; they have their victualling-time, when the egg-laying + is imminent, when the family calls for food. Outside these periods, the + finest heads of game might well leave these nectar-bibbers indifferent. I + am careful therefore, as far as possible, to capture my subjects at the + proper season; I give preference to mothers caught upon the threshold of + the burrow with their prey between their legs. This diligence of mine by + no means always succeeds. There are demoralized insects which, once under + glass, even after a brief delay, no longer care about the equivalent of + their prize. + </p> + <p> + All the species do not perhaps pursue their game with the same ardour; + mood and temperament are more variable even than conformation. To these + factors, which are of the nicest order, we may add that of the hour, which + is often unfavourable when the subject is caught at haphazard on the + flowers, and we shall have more than enough to explain the frequency of + the failures. After all, I must beware of representing my failures as the + rule: what does not succeed one day may very well succeed another day, + under different conditions. With perseverance and a little skill, any one + who cares to continue these interesting studies will, I am sure, fill up + many gaps. The problem is difficult but not impossible. + </p> + <p> + I will not quit my bell-jars without saying a word on the entomological + tact of the captives when they decide to attack. One of the pluckiest of + my subjects, the Hairy Ammophila, was not always provided with the + hereditary dish of her family, the Grey Worm. I offered her + indiscriminately any bare-skinned caterpillars that I chanced to find. + Some were yellow, some green, some brown with white edges. All were + accepted without hesitation, provided that they were of suitable size. + Tasty game was recognized wonderfully under very dissimilar liveries. But + a young Zeuzera-caterpillar, dug out of the branches of a lilac-tree, and + a silkworm of small dimensions were definitely refused. The over-fed + products of our silkworm-nurseries and the mystery-loving caterpillar + which gnaws the inner wood of the lilac inspired her with suspicion and + disgust, despite their bare skin, which favoured the sting, and their + shape, which was similar to that of the victims accepted. + </p> + <p> + Another ardent huntress, the Interrupted Scolia, refused the Cetonia-grub, + which is of like habits with the Anoxia-larva; the Two-banded Scolia also + refused the Anoxia. The Philanthus, the headlong murderess of Bees, saw + through my trickery when I confronted her with the Virgilian Bee, the + Eristalis (E. tenax). She, a Philanthus, take this Fly for a Bee! What + next! The popular idea is mistaken; antiquity too is mistaken, as witness + the "Georgics," which make the putrid remains of a sacrificed Bull give + birth to a swarm; but the Wasp makes no mistake. In her eyes, which see + farther than ours, the Eristalis is an odious Dipteron, a lover of + corruption, and nothing more. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER 14. OBJECTIONS AND REJOINDERS. + </h2> + <p> + No idea of any scope can begin its soaring flight but straightway the + curmudgeons are after it, eager to break its wings and to stamp the + wounded thing under foot. My discovery of the surgical methods that give + the Hunting Wasps their preserved foodstuffs has undergone the common + rule. Let theories be discussed, by all means: the realm of the + imagination is an untilled domain, in which every one is free to plant his + own conceptions. But realities are not open to discussion. It is a bad + policy to deny facts with no more authority than one's wish to find them + untrue. No one that I know of has impugned by contrary observations what I + have so long been saying about the anatomical instinct of the Wasps that + hunt their prey; instead, I am met with arguments. Mercy on us! First use + your eyes and then you shall have leave to argue! And, to persuade people + to use their eyes, I mean to reply, since we have time to spare, to the + objections which have been or may be raised. Of course, I pass over in + silence those in which childish disparagement shows its nose too plainly. + </p> + <p> + The sting, I am told, is directed at one point rather than another because + that is the only vulnerable point. The insect cannot choose what wound it + will inflict; it stings where it must. Its wonderful operative method is + the necessary result of the victim's structure. Let us first, if we attach + any importance to lucidity, come to an understanding about the word + "vulnerable." Do you mean by this that the point or rather points wounded + by the sting are the only points at which a lesion will suddenly cause + either death or paralysis? If so, I share your opinion; not only do I + share it, but I was the first to proclaim it. My whole thesis is contained + in that. Yes, a hundred times yes, the points wounded are the only + vulnerable points; they are even very vulnerable; they are the only points + which lend themselves to the infliction of sudden death or else paralysis, + according to the operator's intention. + </p> + <p> + But this is not how you understand the matter: you mean accessible to the + sting, in a word, penetrable. Here we part company. I have against me, I + admit, the Weevils and the Buprestes of the Cerceres. These mailed ones + hardly give the sting a chance, save behind the prothorax, the point at + which the lancet is actually directed. If I were one to stand on trifles, + I might observe that in front of the prothorax, under the throat, is an + accessible spot and that the Cerceres will have nothing to do with it. But + let us proceed; I give up the horn-clad Beetle. + </p> + <p> + What are we to say of the Grey Worm and other caterpillars beloved of the + Ammophilae? Here are victims accessible to the sting underneath, on the + back, on the sides, fore and aft, everywhere with the same facility, + excepting the top of the head. And of this infinity of points, which are + equally penetrable, the Wasp selects ten, always the same, differing in no + way from the rest, unless it be by the close proximity of the + nerve-centres. What are we to say of the Cetonia- and Anoxia-larvae, which + are always attacked in the first thoracic segment, after long and painful + struggles, when the assailant can sting the grub freely at whatever point + she chooses, since it is quite naked and offers no greater resistance to + the lancet at one point than at another? + </p> + <p> + What are we to think of the Sphex' Crickets and Ephippigers, stabbed three + times on the side of the thorax, which is fairly well defended, whereas + the abdomen, soft and bulky, into which the sting would sink like a needle + into a pat of butter, is neglected? Do not let us forget the Philanthus, + who takes no account either of the fissures beneath the abdominal plates + or of the wide hiatus behind the corselet, but plunges her weapon, at the + base of the throat, through a gap of a fraction of a millimetre. Let us + just mention the Mantis-hunting Tachytes. Does she make for the most + undefended point when she stabs, first of all, at its base, the Mantis' + dreadful engine—the arm-pieces each fitted with a double saw—at + the risk of being seized, transfixed and crunched on the spot if she + misses her blow? Why does she not strike at the creature's long abdomen? + That would be quite easy and free from danger. + </p> + <p> + And the Calicurgi, if you please. Are they also unskilled duelists, + plunging the dirk into the only easily accessible point, when their very + first move is to paralyse the poison-fangs? If there is one point about + the Tarantula and the Epeira that is dangerous and difficult to attack, it + is certainly the mouth which bites with its two poisoned harpoons. And + these desperadoes dare to brave that deadly trap! Why do they not follow + your judicious advice? They should sting the plump belly, which is wholly + unprotected. They do not; and they have their reasons, as have the others. + </p> + <p> + All, from the first to the last, show us, clear as water from the rock, + that the outer structure of the victims operated on counts for nothing in + the method of operating. This is determined by the inner anatomy. The + points wounded are not stung because they are the only points penetrable + by the lancet; they are stung because they fulfil an important condition, + without which penetrability loses its value. This condition is none other + than the immediate proximity of the nerve-centres whose influence has to + be suppressed. When at close quarters with her prey, whether soft or + armour-clad, the huntress behaves as if she understood the nervous system + better than any of us. The thoughtless objection about the only penetrable + points is, I hope, swept aside forever. + </p> + <p> + I am also told: + </p> + <p> + "It is possible, if it comes to that, for the sting to be delivered in the + neighbourhood of the nerve-centres; in a victim at most three or four + centimetres long, distances are very small. But a casual there or + thereabouts is a very different thing from the precision of which you + speak." + </p> + <p> + Oh, they are "thereabouts," are they? We shall see! You want figures, + millimetres, fractions? You shall have them! + </p> + <p> + First I call to witness the Interrupted Scolia. If the reader no longer + has her method of operating in mind, I will beg him to refresh his memory. + The two adversaries, in the preliminary conflict, may be fairly well + represented by two rings interlocked not in the same plane but at right + angles. The Scolia grips a point of the Anoxia-grub's thorax; she curves + her body underneath it and, while encircling the grub, gropes with the tip + of her abdomen along the median line of the larva's neck. Owing to her + transversal position, the assailant is now free to aim her weapon in a + slightly slanting direction, whether towards the head or towards the + thorax, at the same point of entry in the larva's throat. Between the two + opposite slants of the sting, which is itself very short, what can the + distance be? Two millimetres (.078 inch.—Translator's Note.), + perhaps less. That is very little. No matter: let the operator make a + mistake of this length—negligible, you may tell me—let the + sting slant towards the head instead of slanting towards the thorax; and + the result of the operation will be entirely different. With a slant + towards the head, the cerebral ganglia are wounded and their lesion causes + sudden death. This is the stroke of the Philanthus, who kills her Bee by + stinging her from below, under the chin. The Scolia needed a motionless + but not dead victim, one that would supply fresh victuals; she will now + have only a corpse, which will soon go bad and poison the larva. + </p> + <p> + With a slant towards the thorax, the sting wounds the little mass of + nerve-cells in the thorax. This is the regulation stroke, the one which + will induce paralysis and leave the small amount of life needed to keep + the provisions fresh. A millimetre higher kills; a millimetre lower + paralyses. On this tiny deviation the salvation of the Scolia race + depends. You need not fear that the operator will make any mistake in this + micrometrical performance: her sting always slants towards the thorax, + although the opposite inclination is just as practicable and easy. What + would be the outcome of a there or thereabouts under these conditions? + Very often a corpse, a form of food fatal to the grub. + </p> + <p> + The Two-banded Scolia stings a little lower down, on the line of + demarcation between the first two thoracic segments. Her position is + likewise transversal in relation to the Cetonia-grub; but the distance of + the cervical ganglia from the point where the sting enters would possibly + not allow the weapon turned towards the head to inflict a lesion followed + by sudden death as in the above instance. I am calling this witness with + another object. It is extremely unusual for the operator, no matter what + her prey or her method, to make a slight mistake and sting merely + somewhere near the requisite point. I see them all groping with the tip of + the abdomen, sometimes seeking persistently, before unsheathing. They + thrust only when the point beneath the sting is precisely that at which + the wound will produce its full effect. The Two-banded Scolia in + particular will struggle with the Cetonia-grub for half an hour at a time + to enable herself to drive in the stiletto at the right spot. + </p> + <p> + Wearied by an endless scuffle, one of my captives committed before my eyes + a slight blunder, an unprecedented thing. Her weapon entered a little to + one side, not quite a millimetre from the central point and still, of + course, on the line of demarcation between the first two thoracic + segments. I at once laid hold of the precious specimen, which was to teach + me curious matters about the effects of an ill-delivered stroke. If I + myself had made the insect sting at this or that point, there would have + been no particular interest in it: the Scolia, held between the + finger-tips, would wound at random, like a Bee defending herself; her + undirected sting would inject the poison at haphazard. But here everything + happened by rule, except for the little error of position. + </p> + <p> + Well, the victim of this clumsy operation has its legs paralysed only on + the left side, the side towards which the weapon was deflected; it is a + case of hemiplegia. The legs on the right side move. If the operation had + been performed in the normal fashion the result would have been sudden + inertia of all six legs. The hemiplegia, it is true does not last long. + The torpor of the left half rapidly gains the right half of the body and + the creature lies motionless, incapable of burying itself in the mould, + without, however, realizing the conditions indispensable to the safety of + the egg or the young grub. If I seize one of its legs or a point of the + skin with the tweezers, it suddenly shrivels and curls up and swells out + again, as it does when in complete possession of its energies. What would + become of an egg laid on such victuals? At the first closing of this + ruthless vice, at the first contraction, it would be crushed, or at least + detached from its place; and any egg removed from the point where the + mother has fastened it is bound to perish. It needs, on the Cetonia's + abdomen, a yielding support which the bites of the new-born larva will not + set aquiver. The slightly eccentric sting gives none of this soft mass of + fat, always outstretched and quiescent. Only on the following day, after + the torpor has made progress, does the larva become suitably inert and + limp. But it is too late; and in the meantime the egg would be in serious + danger on this half-paralysed victim. The sting, by straying less than a + millimetre, would leave the Scolia without progeny. + </p> + <p> + I promised fractions. Here they are. Let us consider the Tarantula and the + Epeira on whom the Calicurgi have just operated. The first thrust of the + sting is delivered in the mouth. In both victims the poison-fangs are + absolutely lifeless: tickling with a bit of straw never once succeeds in + making them open. On the other hand, the palpi, their very near + neighbours, their adjuncts as it were, possess their customary mobility. + Without any previous touches, they keep on moving for weeks. In entering + the mouth the sting did not reach the cervical ganglia, or sudden death + would have ensued and we should have before our eyes corpses which would + go bad in a few days, instead of fresh carcases in which traces of life + remain manifest for a long time. The cephalic nerve-centres have been + spared. + </p> + <p> + What is wounded then, to procure this profound inertia of the + poison-fangs? I regret that my anatomical knowledge leaves me undecided on + this point. Are the fangs actuated by a special ganglion? Are they + actuated by fibres issuing from centres exercising further functions? I + leave to anatomists equipped with more delicate instruments than I the + task of elucidating this obscure question. The second conjecture appears + to me the more probable, because of the palpi, whose nerves, it seems to + me, must have the same origin as those of the fangs. Basing our argument + on this latter hypothesis, we see that the Calicurgus has only one means + of suppressing the movement of the poisoned pincers without affecting the + mobility of the palpi, above all without injuring the cephalic centres and + thus producing death, namely, to reach with her sting the two fibres + actuating the fangs, fibres as fine as a hair. + </p> + <p> + I insist upon this point. Despite their extreme delicacy, these two + filaments must be injured directly; for, if it were enough for the sting + to inject its poison "there or thereabouts," the nerves of the palpi, so + close to the first, would undergo the same intoxication as the adjacent + region and would leave those appendages motionless. The palpi move; they + retain their mobility for a considerable period; the action of the poison, + therefore, is evidently situated in the nerves of the fangs. There are two + of these nerve-filaments, very fine, very difficult to discover, even by + the professional anatomist. The Calicurgus has to reach them one after the + other, to moisten them with her poison, possibly to transfix them, in any + case to operate upon them in a very restricted manner; so that the + diffusion of the virus may not involve the adjoining parts. The extreme + delicacy of this surgery explains why the weapon remains in the mouth so + long; the point of the sting is seeking and eventually finds the tiny + fraction of a millimetre where the poison is to act. This is what we learn + from the movements of the palpi close to the motionless fangs; they tell + us that the Calicurgi are vivisectors of alarming accuracy. + </p> + <p> + If we accept the hypothesis of a special nerve-centre for the mandibles, + the difficulty would be a little less, without detracting from the + operator's talent. The sting would then have to reach a barely visible + speck, an atom in which we should hardly find room for the point of a + needle. This is the difficulty which the various paralysers solve in + ordinary practice. Do they actually wound with their dirks the ganglion + whose influence is to be done away with? It is possible, but I have tried + no test to make sure, the infinitely tiny wound appearing to be too + difficult to detect with the optical instruments at my disposal. Do they + confine themselves to lodging their drop of poison on the ganglion, or at + all events in its immediate neighbourhood? I do not say no. + </p> + <p> + I declare moreover, that, to provoke lightning paralysis, the poison, if + it is not deposited inside the mass of nervous substance, must act from + somewhere very near. This assertion is merely echoing what the Two-banded + Scolia has just shown us: her Cetonia-grub, stung less than a millimetre + from the regular spot, did not become motionless until next day. There is + no doubt, judging by this instance, that the effect of the virus spreads + in all directions within a radius of some extent; but this diffusion is + not enough for the operator, who requires for her egg, which is soon to be + laid, absolute safety from the very first. + </p> + <p> + On the other hand, the actions of the paralysers argue a precise search + for the ganglia, at all events for the first thoracic ganglion, the most + important of all. The Hairy Ammophila, among others, affords us an + excellent example of this method. Her three thrusts in the caterpillar's + thorax and especially the last, between the first and second pair of legs, + are more prolonged than the stabs distributed among the abdominal ganglia. + Everything justifies us in believing that, for these decisive + inoculations, the sting seeks out the corresponding ganglion and acts only + when it finds it under its point. On the abdomen this peculiar insistence + ceases; the sting passes swiftly from one segment to another. For these + segments, which are less dangerous, the Ammophila perhaps relies on the + diffusion of her venom; in any case, the injections, though hastily + administered, do not diverge from a close vicinity of the ganglia, for + their field of action is very limited, as is proved by the number of + inoculations necessary to induce complete torpor, or, more simply, by the + following example. + </p> + <p> + A Grey Worm which had just received its first sting on the third thoracic + segment repulses the Ammophila and with a jerk hurls her to a distance. I + profit by the occasion and take hold of the grub. The legs of this third + segment only are paralysed; the others retain their usual mobility. + However helpless in the two injured legs, the animal can walk very well; + it buries itself in the earth, returning to the surface at night to gnaw + the stump of lettuce with which I have served it. For a fortnight my + paralytic retains perfect liberty of action, except in the segment + operated on; then it dies, not of its wound but accidentally. All this + time the effect of the poison has not spread beyond the inoculated + segment. + </p> + <p> + At any point where the sting enters, anatomy informs us of the presence of + a nervous nucleus. Is this centre directly smitten by the weapon? Or is it + poisoned with virus, from a very small distance, by the progressive + impregnation of the neighbouring tissues? This is the doubtful point, + though it does not in any way invalidate the precision of the abdominal + injections, which are comparatively neglected. As for those in the + caterpillar's thorax, their precision is beyond dispute. After the + Ammophilae, the Scoliae and, above all, the Calicurgi, is it really + necessary to bring into court yet other witnesses, who would all swear + that, with modifications of detail, the movement of their lancet is + strictly regulated by the nervous system of the prey? This ought to be + enough. The proof is established for those who have ears to hear with. + </p> + <p> + Others delight in objections whose oddity surprises me. They see in the + poison of the Hunting Wasps an antiseptic liquid and in victuals stored in + their burrows preserved meats which are kept fresh not by a remnant of + life but by the virus and its microbes. Come, my learned masters, let us + just talk the matter over, between ourselves. Have you ever seen the + larder of a skilled Hunting Wasp, a Sphex for instance, a Scolia, an + Ammophila? You haven't, have you? I thought as much. Yet it would be + better to begin by doing so, before bringing the preservative microbe on + the scene. The slightest examination would have shown you that the + victuals cannot be compared exactly with smoked hams. The thing moves, + therefore it is not dead. There you have the whole matter, in its artless + simplicity. The palpi move, the mandibles open and shut, the tarsi quiver, + the antennae and the abdominal filaments wave to and fro, the abdomen + throbs, the intestine rejects its contents, the animal reacts to the + stimulus of a needle, all of which signs are hardly compatible with the + idea of pickled meat. + </p> + <p> + Have you had the curiosity to look through the pages in which I set forth + the detailed results of my observations? You haven't, have you? Again, I + thought as much. It is a pity. You would there find, in particular, the + history of certain Ephippigers who, after being stung by the Sphex + according to rule, were reared by myself by hand. You must agree that + these are queer preserves to be produced by the use of an antiseptic + fluid. They accept the mouthfuls which I offer them on the tip of a straw; + they feed, they sit up and take nourishment. I shall never live to see + tinned sardines doing as much. + </p> + <p> + I will avoid tedious repetition and content myself with adding to my old + sheaf of proofs a few facts which have not yet been related. The + Nest-building Odynerus showed us in her cells a few Chrysomela-larvae + fixed by the hinder part to the side of the reed. The grub fastens itself + in this way to the poplar-leaf to obtain a purchase when the moment has + come for leaving the larval slough. Do not these preparations for the + nymphosis tell us plainly that the creature is not dead? + </p> + <p> + The Hairy Ammophila affords us an even better example. A number of + caterpillars operated on before my eyes attained, some sooner, some later, + the chrysalis stage. My notes are explicit on the subject of some of them, + taken on Verbascum sinuatum. Sacrificed on the 14th of April, they were + still irritable when tickled with a straw a fortnight after. A little + later, the pale-green colouring of the early stages is replaced by a + reddish brown, except on two or three segments of the median ventral + surface. The skin wrinkles and splits, but does not come detached of its + own accord. I can easily remove it in shreds. Under this slough appears + the firm, chestnut-brown horn integument of the chrysalis. The development + of the nymphosis is so correct that for a moment the crazy hope occurs to + me that I may see a Turnip-moth come out of this mummy, the victim of a + dozen dagger-thrusts. For the rest, there is no attempt at spinning a + cocoon, no jet of silky threads flung out by the caterpillar before + turning into a chrysalis. Perhaps under normal conditions metamorphosis + takes place without this protection. However, the moth whom I expected to + see was beyond the limits of the possible. In the middle of May, a month + after the operation on the caterpillars, my three chrysalids, still + incomplete underneath, in the three or four middle segments, withered and + at last went mouldy. Is the evidence conclusive this time? Who can + conceive such a silly idea as that a prey really dead, a corpse preserved + from putrefaction by an antiseptic, could contain what is perhaps the most + delicate work of life, the development of the grub into the perfect + insect? + </p> + <p> + The truth must be driven into recalcitrant brains with great blows of the + sledge-hammer. Let us once more employ this method. In September I unearth + from a heap of mould five Cetonia-grubs, paralysed by the Two-banded + Scolia and bearing on the abdomen the as yet unhatched egg of the Wasp. I + remove the eggs and install the helpless creatures on a bed of leaf-mould + with a glass cover. I propose to see how long I can keep them fresh, able + to move their mandibles and palpi. Already the victims of various Hunting + Wasps had instructed me on a similar matter; I knew that traces of life + linger for two, three, four weeks and longer. For instance, I had seen the + Ephippigers of the Languedocian Sphex continue the waving of their + antennae and their paralytic shudders for forty days of artificial feeding + by hand; and I used to wonder whether the more or less early death of the + other victims was not due to lack of nourishment quite as much as to the + operation which they had undergone. However, the insect in its adult form + usually has a very brief existence. It soon dies, killed by the mere fact + of living, without any other accident. A larva is preferable for these + investigations. Its constitution is livelier, better able to support + protracted abstinence, above all during the winter torpor. The + Cetonia-grub, a regular lump of bacon, nourished by its own fat during the + winter season, fulfils the needful conditions to perfection. What will + become of it, lying belly upwards on its bed of leaf-mould? Will it + survive the winter? + </p> + <p> + At the end of a month, three of my grubs turn brown and lapse into + rottenness. The other two keep perfectly fresh and move their antennae and + palpi at the touch of a straw. The cold weather comes and tickling no + longer elicits these signs of life. The inertia is complete; nevertheless + their appearance remains excellent, without a trace of the brownish tinge, + the sign of deterioration. At the return of the warm weather, in the + middle of May, there is a sort of resurrection. I find my two larvae + turned over, belly downwards; much more: they are half-buried in the + mould. When teased, they coil up lazily; they move their legs as well as + their mouth-parts, but slowly and without vigour. Then their strength + seems to revive. The convalescent, resuscitated grubs dig with clumsy + efforts into their bed of mould; they dive into it and disappear to a + depth of about two inches. Recovery seems to be imminent. + </p> + <p> + I am mistaken. In June I unearth the invalids. This time, the larvae are + dead; their brown colour tells me as much. I expected better things. Never + mind: this is no trifling success. For nine months, nine long months, the + grubs stabbed by the Scolia kept fresh and alive. Towards the end, torpor + was dispelled, strength and movement returned, sufficiently to enable them + to leave the surface where I had placed them and to regain the depths by + boring a passage through the soil. I really think that after this + resurrection there will be no more talk of antiseptics, unless and until + tinned Herrings begin to frolic in their brine. (The subject of this and + the preceding chapters is continued in an essay entitled "The Poison of + the Bee" for which cf. "Bramble-bees and Others": chapter 11.—Translator's + Note.) + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0017" id="link2H_4_0017"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + INDEX. + </h2> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <p> + Acorn-weevil. + </p> + <p> + Amedeus' Eumenes. + </p> + <p> + Ameles decolor (see Grey Mantis). + </p> + <p> + Ammophila (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Ammophila hursuta (see Hairy Ammophila). + </p> + <p> + Ammophila holoserica (see Silky Ammophila). + </p> + <p> + Ammophila Julii (see Jules' Ammophila). + </p> + <p> + Ammophila sabulosa (see Sandy Ammophila). + </p> + <p> + Anathema Tachytes. + </p> + <p> + Anoxia (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Anoxia australis. + </p> + <p> + Anoxia matutinalis (see Morning Anoxia). + </p> + <p> + Anoxia villosa (see Shaggy Anoxia). + </p> + <p> + Ant. + </p> + <p> + Anthidium (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Anthidium bellicosum. + </p> + <p> + Anthidium scapulare. + </p> + <p> + Anthidium septemdentatum. + </p> + <p> + Anthophora. + </p> + <p> + Anthrax (see also Anthrax sinuata). + </p> + <p> + Anthrax sinuata. + </p> + <p> + Ape. + </p> + <p> + Aphis (see Plant-louse). + </p> + <p> + Ass. + </p> + <p> + Astata. + </p> + <p> + Balaninus (see also Balaninus glandum). + </p> + <p> + Balaninus glandum (see Acorn-weevil). + </p> + <p> + Banded Epeira. + </p> + <p> + Bat. + </p> + <p> + Bee (see also Bumble-bee, Hive-bee, Mason-bee). + </p> + <p> + Bee-eating Philanthus. + </p> + <p> + Beetle. + </p> + <p> + Bembex (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Bembex bidentata (see Two-pronged Bembex). + </p> + <p> + Bembex rostrata (see Rostrate Bembex). + </p> + <p> + Black, Adam and Charles. + </p> + <p> + Black-bellied Tarantula. + </p> + <p> + Black Spider (see Cellar Spider). + </p> + <p> + Black Tachytes. + </p> + <p> + Blister-beetle (see Oil-beetle). + </p> + <p> + Bluebottle. + </p> + <p> + Blue Osmia. + </p> + <p> + Bombylius. + </p> + <p> + Boyle, Robert. + </p> + <p> + Brachycera. + </p> + <p> + Brachyderes pubescens (see Pubescent Brachyderes). + </p> + <p> + Breguet, Louis. + </p> + <p> + Brillat-Savarin, Anthelme. + </p> + <p> + Brown-winged Solenius. + </p> + <p> + Bug. + </p> + <p> + Bull. + </p> + <p> + Bull, the author's Dog. + </p> + <p> + Bullock. + </p> + <p> + Bumble-bee. + </p> + <p> + Buprestis. + </p> + <p> + Buprestis-hunting Cerceris. + </p> + <p> + Burnt Zonitis. + </p> + <p> + Butterfly. + </p> + <p> + Cabbage Pieris. + </p> + <p> + Calicurgus (see Pompilus and the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Calicurgus annulatus (see Ringed Calicurgus). + </p> + <p> + Calicurgus scurra (see Harlequin Calicurgus). + </p> + <p> + Callot, Jacques. + </p> + <p> + Cantharides. + </p> + <p> + Carpenter-bee. + </p> + <p> + Cellar Spider. + </p> + <p> + Century co. + </p> + <p> + Cerceris (see also Buprestis-hunting Cerceris and the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Cerceris arenaria (see Sand Cerceris). + </p> + <p> + Cerceris Ferreri (see Ferrero's Cerceris). + </p> + <p> + Cerceris ornata (see Ornate Cerceris). + </p> + <p> + Cerceris tuberculata (see Great Cerceris). + </p> + <p> + Cerocoma. + </p> + <p> + Cetonia (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Cetonia aurata (see Golden Cetonia). + </p> + <p> + Cetonia morio. + </p> + <p> + Chaffinch. + </p> + <p> + Chalicodoma (see Mason-bee). + </p> + <p> + Chaoucho-grapaou (see Nightjar). + </p> + <p> + Chimpanzee. + </p> + <p> + Chrysomela populi (see Poplar Leaf-beetle). + </p> + <p> + Cicada. + </p> + <p> + Cicadella. + </p> + <p> + Cleonus (see also Cleonus ophthalmicus). + </p> + <p> + Cleonus ophthalmicus. + </p> + <p> + Cneorhinus. + </p> + <p> + Cockchafer. + </p> + <p> + Colpa interrupta (see Interrupted Scolia). + </p> + <p> + Common Cockchafer (see Cockchafer). + </p> + <p> + Common Wasp. + </p> + <p> + Cotton-bee (see Anthidium scapulare). + </p> + <p> + Cow. + </p> + <p> + Crab. + </p> + <p> + Crabro (see Hornet). + </p> + <p> + Crabro chrysostomus (see Golden-mouthed Hornet). + </p> + <p> + Cricket. + </p> + <p> + Crowned Philanthus. + </p> + <p> + Cuckoo. + </p> + <p> + Darwin, Charles Robert. + </p> + <p> + David the painter. + </p> + <p> + David, Felicien Cesar. + </p> + <p> + Death's-head Hawk-moth. + </p> + <p> + Devilkin (see Empusa). + </p> + <p> + Dicranura vinula. + </p> + <p> + Dioxys cincta (see Girdled Dioxys). + </p> + <p> + Dog (see also Bull). + </p> + <p> + Drone-fly. + </p> + <p> + Dufour, Jean Marie Leon. + </p> + <p> + Duges, Louis Antoine. + </p> + <p> + Earth-worm. + </p> + <p> + Eight-spotted Pompilus. + </p> + <p> + Empusa. + </p> + <p> + Epeira (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Epeira fasciata (see Banded Epeira). + </p> + <p> + Epeira serica (see Silky Epeira). + </p> + <p> + Ephippiger. + </p> + <p> + Eristalis E. tenax (see Drone-fly). + </p> + <p> + Eucera. + </p> + <p> + Euchlora Julii. + </p> + <p> + Eumenes (see also Amedeus Eumenes). + </p> + <p> + Fabricius, Johan Christian. + </p> + <p> + Favier, the author's factotum. + </p> + <p> + Ferrero's Cerceris. + </p> + <p> + Field-mouse. + </p> + <p> + Fly (see also Gad-fly, House-fly). + </p> + <p> + Fox. + </p> + <p> + Frog. + </p> + <p> + Gad-fly. + </p> + <p> + Galileo. + </p> + <p> + Garden Scolia. + </p> + <p> + Garden Spider (see Epeira). + </p> + <p> + Geonomus. + </p> + <p> + Girdled Dioxys. + </p> + <p> + Gnat. + </p> + <p> + Goat. + </p> + <p> + Goatsucker (see Nightjar). + </p> + <p> + Golden Cetonia. + </p> + <p> + Golden-crested Wren. + </p> + <p> + Golden-mouthed Hornet. + </p> + <p> + Golden Osmia. + </p> + <p> + Gorilla. + </p> + <p> + Grasshopper. + </p> + <p> + Great Cellar Spider (see Cellar Spider). + </p> + <p> + Great Cerceris. + </p> + <p> + Grey Mantis. + </p> + <p> + Grey Worm. + </p> + <p> + Hairy Ammophila. + </p> + <p> + Halictus. + </p> + <p> + Harlequin Calicurgus. + </p> + <p> + Hedgehog. + </p> + <p> + Helophilus pendulus. + </p> + <p> + Hemorrhoidal Scolia. + </p> + <p> + Hen. + </p> + <p> + Herring. + </p> + <p> + Hive-bee. + </p> + <p> + Hog. + </p> + <p> + Hornet (see also Golden-mouthed Hornet). + </p> + <p> + House-fly. + </p> + <p> + Interrupted Scolia. + </p> + <p> + Jules, Ammophila. + </p> + <p> + Klug. + </p> + <p> + Lalande, Joseph Jerome Le Francais de. + </p> + <p> + Lamellicorn. + </p> + <p> + Languedocian Sphex. + </p> + <p> + Lark. + </p> + <p> + Latreille, Pierre Andre. + </p> + <p> + Leucopsis gigas, L. grandis. + </p> + <p> + Lily-beetle. + </p> + <p> + Linnet. + </p> + <p> + Locust. + </p> + <p> + Looper. + </p> + <p> + Lycosa (see Black-bellied Tarantula). + </p> + <p> + Macmillan Co. + </p> + <p> + Mantis (see also Grey Mantis, Praying Mantis). + </p> + <p> + Mantis-hunting Tachytes (see Mantis-killing Tachytes). + </p> + <p> + Mantis-killing Tachytes. + </p> + <p> + Mariotte, Edme. + </p> + <p> + Mason-bee (see also the Anthophora and the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Mason-bee of the Pebbles (see Mason-bee of the Walls). + </p> + <p> + Mason-bee of the Sheds. + </p> + <p> + Mason-bee of the Shrubs. + </p> + <p> + Mason-bee of the Walls. + </p> + <p> + Measuring-worm (see Looper). + </p> + <p> + Megachile sericans. + </p> + <p> + Melanophora. + </p> + <p> + Meloe (see Oil-beetle). + </p> + <p> + Miall, Bernard. + </p> + <p> + Midge. + </p> + <p> + Mithradates VI. + </p> + <p> + Mole. + </p> + <p> + Mole-cricket. + </p> + <p> + Monkey. + </p> + <p> + Monoceros (see Oryctes nasicornis). + </p> + <p> + Morning Anoxia. + </p> + <p> + Mosquito. + </p> + <p> + Moth. + </p> + <p> + Mule. + </p> + <p> + Muscid (see House-fly). + </p> + <p> + Mylabris. + </p> + <p> + Narbonne Lycosa (see Black-bellied Tarantula). + </p> + <p> + Nest-building Odynerus. + </p> + <p> + Nightjar. + </p> + <p> + Nut-weevil. + </p> + <p> + Odynerus (see also Nest-building Odynerus). + </p> + <p> + Oil-beetle. + </p> + <p> + Ornate Cerceris. + </p> + <p> + Oryctes nasicornis. + </p> + <p> + Oryctes Silenus. + </p> + <p> + Osmia (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Osmia cyanea (see Blue Osmia). + </p> + <p> + Osmia cyanoxantha. + </p> + <p> + Osmia Latreillii (see Latreille's Osmia). + </p> + <p> + Osmia parvula (see Tiny Osmia). + </p> + <p> + Osmia tricornis (see Three-horned Osmia). + </p> + <p> + Ostrich. + </p> + <p> + Otiorhynchus. + </p> + <p> + Palarus (see also Palarus flavipes). + </p> + <p> + Palarus flavipes. + </p> + <p> + Pangonia. + </p> + <p> + Panzer's Tachytes. + </p> + <p> + Paragus. + </p> + <p> + Pascal, Blaise. + </p> + <p> + Passerini. + </p> + <p> + Pea-weevil. + </p> + <p> + Pelopaeus. + </p> + <p> + Pentodon punctatus. + </p> + <p> + Perez, J. + </p> + <p> + Phaneropteron falcata. + </p> + <p> + Philanthus (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Philanthus apivorus (see Bee-eating Philanthus). + </p> + <p> + Philanthus coronatus (see Crowned Philanthus). + </p> + <p> + Philanthus raptor (see Robber Philanthus). + </p> + <p> + Phynotomus. + </p> + <p> + Pieris (see Cabbage Pieris). + </p> + <p> + Pig. + </p> + <p> + Pine-chafer. + </p> + <p> + Pithecanthropus. + </p> + <p> + Plant-louse. + </p> + <p> + Pompilus (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Pompilus annulatus (see Ringed Calicurgus). + </p> + <p> + Pompilus apicalis. + </p> + <p> + Pompilus octopunctatus (see Eight-spotted Pompilus). + </p> + <p> + Poplar Leaf-Beetle. + </p> + <p> + Praying Mantis. + </p> + <p> + Pubescent Brachyderes. + </p> + <p> + Rat. + </p> + <p> + Resin-bee (see Anthidium bellicosum, Anthidium septemdentatum). + </p> + <p> + Rhinoceros Beetle (see Oryctes nasicornis). + </p> + <p> + Rhynchites betuleti. + </p> + <p> + Ringed Calicurgus. + </p> + <p> + Ringed Pompilus (see Ringed Calicurgus). + </p> + <p> + Robber Philanthus. + </p> + <p> + Robber-fly. + </p> + <p> + Robin. + </p> + <p> + Romanes, George John. + </p> + <p> + Rose-chafer (see Cetonia, Golden Cetonia). + </p> + <p> + Rostrate Bembex. + </p> + <p> + Sand Cerceris. + </p> + <p> + Sandy Ammophila. + </p> + <p> + Sapyga punctata (see Spotted Sapyga). + </p> + <p> + Sarcophaga. + </p> + <p> + Scarabaeid. + </p> + <p> + Scarabaeus pentodon. + </p> + <p> + Scolia (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Scolia bifasciata (see Two-banded Scolia). + </p> + <p> + Scolia haemorrhoidalis (see Hemorrhoidal Scolia). + </p> + <p> + Scolia hortorum (see Garden Scolia). + </p> + <p> + Scolia interrupta (see Interrupted Scolia). + </p> + <p> + Screech-owl. + </p> + <p> + Seal. + </p> + <p> + Segestria perfidia (see Cellar Spider). + </p> + <p> + Shaggy Anoxia. + </p> + <p> + Sheep. + </p> + <p> + Silkworm. + </p> + <p> + Silky Ammophila. + </p> + <p> + Silky Epeira. + </p> + <p> + Silky Leaf-cutter (see Megachile sericans). + </p> + <p> + Sitones. + </p> + <p> + Skua. + </p> + <p> + Slug. + </p> + <p> + Snail. + </p> + <p> + Socrates. + </p> + <p> + Solenius fascipennis (see Brown-winged Solenius). + </p> + <p> + Solenius vagus (see Wandering Solenius). + </p> + <p> + Sparrow. + </p> + <p> + Sparrow-hawk. + </p> + <p> + Sphaerophoria. + </p> + <p> + Sphex (see also Languedocian Sphex, White-banded Sphex, Yellow-winged + Sphex.) + </p> + <p> + Spider (see also Black-bellied Tarantula, Cellar Spider, Epeira. + </p> + <p> + Spotted Sapyga. + </p> + <p> + Spurge Hawk-moth. + </p> + <p> + Stizus (see also the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Stizus ruficornis. + </p> + <p> + Stizus tridentatus. + </p> + <p> + Strophosomus. + </p> + <p> + Swallow. + </p> + <p> + Swammerdam, Jan. + </p> + <p> + Syritta perpens. + </p> + <p> + Syrphus. + </p> + <p> + Tachytes (see also Mantis-killing Tachytes and the varieties below). + </p> + <p> + Tachytes anathema (see Anathema Tachytes). + </p> + <p> + Tachytes nigra (see Black Tachytes). + </p> + <p> + Tachytes Panzeri (see Panzer's Tachytes). + </p> + <p> + Tachytes tarsina (see Tarsal Tachytes). + </p> + <p> + Tachytes unicolor. + </p> + <p> + Tarantula (see Black-bellied Tarantula). + </p> + <p> + Tarsal Bembex. + </p> + <p> + Tarsal Tachytes. + </p> + <p> + Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander. + </p> + <p> + Three-horned Osmia. + </p> + <p> + Tiny Osmia. + </p> + <p> + Toad. + </p> + <p> + Toricelli, Evangelista. + </p> + <p> + Toussenel, Alphonse. + </p> + <p> + Turkey. + </p> + <p> + Turnip Moth. + </p> + <p> + Two-banded Scolia. + </p> + <p> + Two-pronged Bembex. + </p> + <p> + Unwin, T. Fisher, Ltd. + </p> + <p> + Vespa crabro (see Hornet). + </p> + <p> + Virgilian Bee, Virgil's Bee (see Drone-fly). + </p> + <p> + Wandering Solenius. + </p> + <p> + Wasp (see Common Wasp). + </p> + <p> + Weevil (see also Acorn-weevil, Nut-weevil, Pea-weevil). + </p> + <p> + Whale. + </p> + <p> + Whippoorwill (see Nightjar). + </p> + <p> + White-banded Sphex. + </p> + <p> + White Worm. + </p> + <p> + Wolf. + </p> + <p> + Yellow-winged Sphex. + </p> + <p> + Zeuzera. + </p> + <p> + Zonitis praeusta (see Burnt Zonitis). + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of More Hunting Wasps, by J. 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