Wasps and their ways . ght betweenthe fierce, swift wasp and the equally fierceand powerful spider. If the spider wins,as sometimes happens, the wasp suppliesher hairy highness with a hard-earnedmeal. If the wasp wins the great spideris stung to paralysis, dragged away, and THE MINERS 259 stored in the underground nest of thewasp, to become food for the larva thathatches out of the e,gg laid upon the spi-der. If food influences character, nowonder the larvae fed upon such nutri-ment develop into the fiercest of theirkind. More common than these great wasps isthe beautiful Sphex ichneumonea, a
Wasps and their ways . ght betweenthe fierce, swift wasp and the equally fierceand powerful spider. If the spider wins,as sometimes happens, the wasp suppliesher hairy highness with a hard-earnedmeal. If the wasp wins the great spideris stung to paralysis, dragged away, and THE MINERS 259 stored in the underground nest of thewasp, to become food for the larva thathatches out of the e,gg laid upon the spi-der. If food influences character, nowonder the larvae fed upon such nutri-ment develop into the fiercest of theirkind. More common than these great wasps isthe beautiful Sphex ichneumonea, a largewasp with a long and slender waist andwearing a yellow, velvety jacket. Its legsand wings are golden brown, as is also thebig end of the abdomen, the sting endbeing dark brown orblack. It is a striking-look-ing insect as one sees it^flying among the fallflowers. It digs veryrapidly when once it hasselected a spot, and hums as it it loosens the earth particle byparticle with its jaws, which are long,. 260 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS slender, and sickle-shaped, it also uses its. legs to carry away the debris. The earthis borne some distance from the nest andthen dropped, though that which collectsabout the entrance hole is kicked vigorouslyaside when the accumulation exceeds whather ladyship considers proper limits. When the tunnel is deep enough MadamSphex flies away, but as a rule not far, forthe grass about is alive with grasshoppers,and it does not take the brilliant, strong,and merciless creature long to select one,upon which she pounces. The grasshop-per is quite helpless before the fate thathas overtaken it, and yields its life withscarcely a protesting struggle. Havingbeen stung and thus instantly paralysed,it is carried to the nest, dragged in, andshut up there with the egg of the wasp;for, having deposited her treasure withinand laid the egg, Sphex scratches earthinto the open end with her legs, verymuch as a dog might. THE MINERS 261 That wasps are possess
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