Marvels of insect life ; a popular account of structure and habit . oking for the victim, but leavesoff work at intervals in order to visit the spider,to touch it and so assure herself that it is herspider and that it is quite safe. In this case, assoon as the wasp had set to work on her miningoperations, Fabre removed the spider to a distanceof about eighteen inches. When Pompilus hadworked for a spell she left off and flew straight tothe spot where she had left her treasure, andexhibited grave concern at its absence. She care-fully walked over the surrounding ground, asthough to make sure th
Marvels of insect life ; a popular account of structure and habit . oking for the victim, but leavesoff work at intervals in order to visit the spider,to touch it and so assure herself that it is herspider and that it is quite safe. In this case, assoon as the wasp had set to work on her miningoperations, Fabre removed the spider to a distanceof about eighteen inches. When Pompilus hadworked for a spell she left off and flew straight tothe spot where she had left her treasure, andexhibited grave concern at its absence. She care-fully walked over the surrounding ground, asthough to make sure that her memory was notat fault, then satisfying herself that the spider wasnot there, she extended her survey, and at lengthfound what she sought. Her actions showed thatshe was greatly astonished at the change of posi-tion ; and she appeared to be unable to accountfor it. It was incomprehensible that she couldhave left the spider in that position ; but seizing fT^^ one of its legs she removed it to another tuft, and *^ resumed her digging. Fabre again removed and when the wasp had rested from her digging Photo by] [H. Mam, Eggs of Emperor Moth. The large eggs, to the number of two or threehundred, are laid around a twig of the food-plantas shown. They are magnified here to the extentof four and a-quarter times. she flew straight to the place where she had lastleft it, and, failing to find it, quartered the imme-diate surroundings as she had done before. Fivetimes the naturalist removed the spider, and everytime the wasp went through the same performance,seeking her treasure where she had last laid it,showing that her sense of locality was she been guided by scent she would havegone, probably, to one of the places where thespider had lain previously, but this she never could sight have played anything more than a subordinate part in the discovery,for Fabre found that, though the spider was only a couple of inches from the waspin some of her search
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecta, booksubjectinsects
