第3章

Itisapunylittleinsect，almostastinyasthemidgeswhomweseeeddyinginarayofsunshineattheendofautumn。Itsdressisgoldenbronze;itseyesarecoralred。Itcarriesanakedsword，thatistosay，thesheathofitsdrillstandsoutslantwiseatthetipofitsbelly，insteadoflyinginahollowgroovealongtheback，asitdoeswiththeLeucospis。Thisscabbardholdsthelatterhalfoftheinoculatingfilament，whichextendsbelowtheanimaltothebaseoftheabdomen。Inshort，itsutensilisthatoftheLeucospis，withthisdifference，thatitslowerhalfsticksoutlikearapier。

Thismitethatbearsasworduponherrumpisyetanotherpersecutorofthemasonbeesandnotoneoftheleastformidable。

SheexploitstheirnestsatthesametimeastheLeucospis。Iseeher，liketheLeucospis，slowlyexplorethegroundwithherantennae;Iseeher，liketheLeucospis，bravelydriveherdaggerintothestonewall。Moretakenupwithherwork，lessconsciousperhapsofdanger，shepaysnoheedtothemanwhoisobservinghersoclosely。WheretheLeucospisflies，shedoesnotbudge。Sogreatisherassurancethatshecomesrightintomystudy，tomyworktable，anddisputesmyownershipofthenestswhoseoccupantsIamexamining。Sheoperatesundermylens，sheoperatesjustbesidemyforceps。Whatriskdoessherun？Whatcanonedotoathingsoverysmall？SheissocertainofhersafetythatIcantaketheMason’snestinmyhand，moveit，putitdownandtakeitupagainwithouttheinsect’sraisinganyobjection:itcontinuesitsworkevenwhenmymagnifyingglassisplacedoverit。

OneoftheseheroineshascometoinspectanestoftheChalicodomaoftheWalls，mostofwhosecellsareoccupiedbythenumerouscocoonsofaparasite，theStelis。Thecontentsofthesecells，whichhavebeenpartiallyrippeduptosatisfymycuriosity，areverymuchexposedtoview。Thewindfallappearstobeappreciated，forIseethedwarfferretaboutfromcelltocellforfourdaysonend，seeherchoosehercocoonandinsertherawlinthemostapprovedfashion。Ithuslearnthatsight，althoughanindispensableguideinsearching，doesnotdecideupontheproperspotfortheoperation。Hereisaninsectexploringnotthestonyexteriorofthemason’sdwelling，butthesurfaceofcocoonswovenofsilk。Theexplorerhasneverfoundherselfplacedinsuchcircumstances，norhasanyofherracebeforeher，everycocoon，undernormalconditions，beingprotectedbyasurroundingwall。Nomatter:despitetheprofounddifferenceinthesurfaces，theinsectdoesnotwaver。Warnedbyaspecialsense，anundecipherableriddletoourselves，itknowsthattheobjectofitssearchlieshiddenunderthisunfamiliarcasing。

Thesenseofsmellhasalreadybeenshowntobeoutofthequestion;thatofsightisnoweliminatedinitsturn。

ThatsheshouldborethroughthecocoonsoftheStelis，aparasiteofthemasonbee，doesnotsurprisemeatall:Iknowhowindifferentmyboldvisitoristothenatureofthevictualsdestinedforherfamily。Ihavenoticedherpresenceinthehomesofbeesdifferinggreatlyinsizeandhabits:Anthophorae，Osmiae，Chalicodomae，Anthidia。TheStelisexploitedonmytableisonevictimmore;andthatisall。Theinterestdoesnotliethere。

Theinterestliesinthemaneuversoftheinsect，whichIamabletofollowunderthemostfavorableconditions。

Bentsharplyatrightangles，likeacoupleofbrokenmatches，theantennaefeelthecocoonwiththeirtipsalone。Theterminaljointisthehomeofthisstrangesensewhichdiscernsfromafarwhatnoeyesees，noscentdistinguishesandnoearhears。Ifthepointexploredbefoundsuitable，theinsecthoistsitselfontiptoesoastogivefullscopetotheplayofitsmechanism;itbringsthetipofthebellyalittleforward;andtheentireovipositor——

inoculating—needleandscabbard——standsperpendiculartothecocoon，inthecenterofthequadrilateraldescribedbythefourhindlegs，aneminentlyfavorablepositionforobtainingthemaximumeffect。Forsometime，thewholeoftheawlbearsonthecocoon，feelingallroundwithitspoint，gropingabout;then，suddenly，theboringneedleisreleasedfromitssheath，whichfallsbackalongthebody，whiletheneedlestrivestomakeitsentrance。Theoperationisadifficultone。Iseetheinsectmakeascoreofattempts，oneaftertheother，withoutsucceedinginpiercingthetoughwrapperoftheStelis。Shouldtheinstrumentnotpenetrate，itretreatsintoitssheathandtheinsectresumesitsscrutinyofthecocoon，soundingitpointbypointwiththetipsofitsantennae。Thenfurtherthrustsaretrieduntilonesucceeds。

Theeggsarelittlespindles，whiteandgleaminglikeivory，abouttwo—thirdsofamillimeterinlength。Theyhavenotthelong，curvedpeduncleoftheLeucospis’eggs;theyarenotsuspendedfromtheceilingofthecocoonlikethese，butarelaidwithoutorderaroundthefosteringlarva。Lastly，inasinglecellandwithasinglemother，thereisalwaysmorethanonelaying;andthenumberofeggsvariesconsiderablyineach。TheLeucospis，becauseofhergreatsize，whichrivalsthatofhervictim，theBee，findsineachcellprovisionsenoughforoneandonealone。When，therefore，thereismorethanonesetofeggsinanyonecell，thisisduetoamistakeonherpartandnotapremeditatedresult。Wherethewholerationisrequiredforthemealsofasinglegrub，shewouldtakegoodcarenottoinstallseveralifshecouldhelpit。Hercompetitorisnotcalledupontoobservethesamediscretion。A

Chalicodomagrubgivesthedwarfthewherewithaltoportionascoreofherlittleones，whowillliveincommonandinallcomfortonwhatasinglesonofthegiantesswouldeatupbyhimself。Thetinyboringengineer，therefore，alwayssettlesanumerousfamilyatthesamebanquet。Thebowl，ampleforadozenortwo，isemptiedinperfectharmony。

Curiositymademecountthebrood，toseeifthemotherwasabletoestimatethevictualsandtoproportionthenumberofgueststothesumptuousnessofthefareprovided。Mynotesmentionfifty—fourlarvaeinthecellofamaskedAnthophora（Anthophorapersonata）。

Noothercensusattainedthisfigure。Possibly，twodifferentmothershadlaidtheireggsinthiscrowdedhabitation。WiththeMasonbeeoftheWalls，Iseethenumberoflarvaevary，indifferentcells，betweenfourandtwenty—six;withthemasonbeeoftheSheds，betweenfiveandthirty—six;withthethree—hornedOsmia，whosuppliedmewiththelargestnumberofrecords，betweensevenandtwenty—five;withtheblueOsmia（Osmiacyanea，KIRB。），betweenfiveandsix;withtheStelis（Stelisnasuta），betweenfourandtwelve。

Thefirstreturnandthelasttwoseemtopointtosomerelationbetweentheabundanceofprovisionsandthenumberofconsumers。

WhenthemothercomesuponthebountifullarvaofthemaskedAnthophora，shegivesithalf—a—hundredtofeed;withtheStelisandtheblueOsmia，niggardlyrationsboth，shecontentsherselfwithhalf—a—dozen。Tointroduceintothediningroomonlythenumberofboardersthatthebilloffarewillallowwouldcertainlybeamostdeservingperformance，especiallyastheinsectisplacedunderverydifficultconditionstojudgethecontentsofthecell。

Thesecontents，whichliehiddenundertheceiling，areinvisible;

andtheinsectcanderiveitsinformationonlyfromtheoutsideofthenest，whichvariesinthedifferentspecies。Weshouldthereforehavetoadmittheexistenceofaparticularpowerofdiscrimination，asortofdiscernmentofthespecies，whichisrecognizedaslargeorsmallfromtheoutwardaspectofitshouse。Irefusetogotothislengthinmyconjectures，notthatinstinctseemstomeincapableofsuchfeats，butbecauseoftheparticularsobtainedfromthethree—hornedOsmiaandthetwomasonbees。

Inthecellsofthesethreespecies，IseethenumberoflarvaeputouttonursevaryinsoelasticafashionthatImustabandonallideaofproportionateadjustment。Themother，withouttroublingundulywhethertherebeanexcessoradearthofprovisionsforherfamily，hasfilledthecellsasherfancyprompted，orratheraccordingtothenumberofripeovulescontainedinherovariesatthetimeofthelaying。Iffoodbeover—plentiful，thebroodwillbeallthebetterforitandwillgrowbiggerandstronger;iffoodbescarce，thefamishedyoungsterswillnotdie，butwillremainsmaller。Indeed，withboththelarvaandthefullgrowninsect，I

haveoftenobservedadifferenceinsizewhichvariesaccordingtothedensityofthepopulation，themembersofasmallcolonybeingdoublethesizeoftheirovercrowdedneighbors。

Thegrubsarewhite，taperingatbothends，sharplysegmentedandcoveredallovertheirbodieswithacoatoffine，softhairswhichisinvisibleexceptunderthelens。Theheadconsistsofalittleknobmuchsmallerindiameterthanthebody。Inthishead，themicroscoperevealsmandiblesconsistingoffinespikesofatawnyred，whichspreadintoawide，colorlessbase。Deprivedofanyindentation，incapableofchewinganythingbetweentheirawl—shapedends，thesetwotoolsserveatbesttofixthegrubslightlyatsomepointofthefosteringlarva。Uselessforcarving，therefore，themouthisapureosculatorysucker，whichdrainstheprovisionsbyaprocessofexudationthroughtheskin。WeseehererepeatedwhattheAnthraxandtheLeucospishavealreadyshownus:thegradualexhaustionofavictimwhichtheparasiteconsumeswithoutkillingit。

ItisacuriousspectacleevenafterthatoftheAnthrax。Wehaveheretwentyorthirtystarvelings，allwiththeirmouthspressed，asforakiss，tothebodyoftheplumplarva，which，fromdaytoday，fadesandshrinkswithouttheleastappreciablewound，thuskeepingfreshuntilreducedtoashriveledslough。IfIdisturbthegluttonousswarm，all，withasuddenrecoil，letgo，dropoffandflounderaroundthefostermother。Theyarenolesspromptinresumingtheirsavagekisses。Ineednotaddthatneitheratthepointwheretheyleaveoffnoratthepointwheretheyrecommenceistherethefaintesttraceofliquid。Theoilyexudationoccursonlywhenthepumpisatwork。TolingeroverthisstrangemethodoffeedingissuperfluousafterwhatIhavesaidabouttheAnthrax。

Theappearanceofthefullgrowninsecttakesplaceatthebeginningofsummer，afternearlyawholeyear’sstayintheinvadeddwelling。Thelargenumberofinhabitantsofoneandthesamecellledmetothinkthattheworkofdeliveranceoughttopresentacertaininterest。Theyareallequallyanxioustoclearthewallsoftheprisonattheearliestpossiblemomentandtocomeforthintothegreatfestivalofthesun:dotheyallatthesametime，inaconfusedhorde，attacktheceilingwhichhastobepierced？Istheworkofdeliverancearrangedinthegeneralinterest？Orisindividualselfishnesstheonlyrule？Thesearethequestionswhichobservationwillanswer。

Alittleinadvanceoftheproperseason，Itransfereachfamilyintoashortglasstube，whichwillrepresentthenatalcell。A

good，thickcork，quiteacentimeterdeep，istheobstacletobepiercedforanoutlet。Well，insteadofthemadhasteandtheruinouslackoforganizationwhichIexpectedtofind，mybroodsshowmeintheirglassprisonanexceedinglywellregulatedworkshop。Oneinsect，oneonly，worksatperforatingthecork。

Patiently，withitsmandibles，grainbygrain，itdigsatunnelthewidthofitsbody。Thegalleryissonarrowthat，inordertoreturntothetube，theworkerhastomovebackwards。Itisaslowprocess;andittakeshoursandhourstodigthehole，ahardjobforthefrailminer。

Shouldherfatiguebecometoogreat，theexcavatorleavestheforefrontandmingleswiththecrowd，topolishanddustherself。

Another，thefirstneighborathand，atoncetakesherplaceandisherselfrelievedbyathirdwhenhertaskisdone。Othersagaintaketheirturn，alwaysoneatatime，somuchsothattheworksareneveratastandstillandneverovercrowded。Meanwhile，themultitudekeepsoutoftheway，quietlyandpatiently。Thereisnoanxietyastothedeliverance。Successwillcome:ofthattheyareallconvinced。Whilewaiting，onewashesherantennaebypassingthemthroughhermouth，anotherpolishesherwingswithherhindlegs，anotherfrisksabouttowhileawaytheperiodofinaction。

Somearemakinglove，asovranmeansofkillingtime，whetheronebebornthatdayortwentyyearsago。

Some，Isaid，makelove。Thesefavoredonesarerare;theyhardlycount。Isitthroughindifference？No，butthegallantsarelacking。Thesexesareveryunequallyrepresentedinthepopulationofacell:themalesareinawretchedminorityandsometimesevencompletelyabsent。Thispovertydidnotescapetheolderobservers。Brulle[GaspardAugustBru11e（1809—1873）]，theauthorofmanyworksonnaturalhistoryandoneofthefoundersoftheSocieteentomologiquedeFrance），theonlyauthorwhomIamabletoconsultinmyhermitage，says，literally:’Themalesdonotappeartobeknown。’

I，formypart，knowthem;but，consideringtheirfeeblenumber，I

keepaskingmyselfwhatparttheyplayinaharemsodisproportionatetotheirforces。Afewfigureswillshowuswhatmyhesitationsarebasedupon。

Intwenty—twoOsmiacocoons（Osmiatricornis），thetotalcensusoftheinmatesyieldsthreehundredandfifty—four，ofwhomforty—

sevenaremalesandthreehundredandsevenfemales。Theaveragenumberofinmates，therefore，issixteenindividuals;andtherearesixfemalesatleasttoonemale。Thisdisparityismaintained，inmoreorlessmarkedproportions，whateverthespeciesofthebeeinvaded。InthecocoonsoftheMasonbeeoftheSheds，Idiscovertheaverageproportiontobesixfemalestoonemale;inthoseoftheMasonbeeoftheWalls，Ifindonemaletofifteenfemales。

Thesefacts，whichIamunabletostatewithanygreaterprecision，areenoughtogiverisetothesuspicionthatthemales，whoareeventinierdwarfsthanthefemalesandwho，moreover，likeallinsects，areinjuredbyasingleactofpairing，must，inmostcases，remainstrangerstothefemales。Canthemothers，infact，dispensewiththeirassistance，withoutbeingdeprivedofoffspringonthataccount？Idonotsayyes，butIdonotsayno。Thedualityofthesexesisahardproblem。Whytwosexes？Whynotjustone？Itwouldhavebeenmuchsimplerandsavedagreatdealoffoolery。Whysuchathingassex，whenthetuberoftheJerusalemartichokecandowithoutit？Thesearethepregnantquestionssuggestedtome，intheend，byMonodontomeruscupreus，theinsectsoinfinitesimalinbodyandsooverpoweringinnamethatIhadreallyvowednevertospeakofitagainbyitsofficialdesignation。

CHAPTERIVLARVALDIMORPHISM

IfthereaderhaspaidanyattentiontothestoryoftheAnthrax，hemusthaveperceivedthatmynarrativeisincomplete。Thefoxinthefablesawhowthelion’svisitorsenteredhisden，butdidnotseehowtheywentout。Withus，itistheconverse:weknowthewayoutofthemasonbee’sfortress，butwedonotknowthewayin。

Toleavethecellofwhichhehaseatentheowner，theAnthraxbecomesaperforatingmachine，alivingtoolfromwhichourownindustrymighttakeahintifitrequirednewdrillsforboringrocks。Whentheexittunnelisopened，thistoolsplitslikeapodburstinginthesun;andfromthestoutframeworkthereescapesadaintyfly，avelvetyflake，asoftfluffthatastoundsusbyitscontrastwiththeroughnessofthedepthswhenceitascends。Onthispoint，weknowprettywellwhatthereistoknow。Thereremainstheentranceintothecell，apuzzlethathaskeptmeonthealertforaquarterofacentury。

Tobeginwith，itisevidentthatthemothercannotlodgeheregginthecellofthemasonbee，whichhasbeenlongclosedandbarricadedwithacementwallbythetimethattheAnthraxmakesherappearance。Topenetrateit，shewouldhavetobecomeanexcavatingtooloncemoreandresumethecast—offragswhichsheleftbehindintheexitwindow;shewouldhavetoretracehersteps，toberebornapupa;andlifeknowsnoneoftheseretrogressions。Thefullgrowninsect，ifendowedwithclaws，mandiblesandplentyofperseverance，mightatapinchforcethemortarcasket;buttheflyisnotsoendowed。Herslenderlegswouldbestrainedanddeformedbymerelysweepingawayalittledust;hermouthisasuckerforgatheringthesugaryexudationsoftheflowersandnotthesolidpincersneededforthecrumblingofcement。Thereisnoaugereither，noborecopiedfromthatoftheLeucospis，noimplementofanykindthatcanworkitswayintothethicknessofthewallanddispatchtheeggtoitsdestination。Inshort，themotherisabsolutelyincapableofsettlinghereggsinthechamberoftheMasonbee。

Canitbethegrubthatmakesitsownwayintothestoreroom，thatsamegrubwhichwehaveseendrainingtheChalicodomawithitsleech—likekisses？Letuscallthecreaturetomind:alittleoilysausage，whichstretchesandcurlsupjustwhereitlies，withoutbeingabletoshiftitsposition。Itsbodyisasmoothcylinder;

itsmouthsimplyacircularlip。Notoneambulatoryorgandoesitpossess;notevenhairs，protuberancesorwrinklestoenableittocrawl。Theanimalismadefordigestionandimmobility。Itsorganizationisincompatiblewithmovement;everythingtellsussointheclearestfashion。No，thisgrubisevenlessablethanthemothertomakeitswayunaidedintothemason’sdwelling。Andyettheprovisionsarethere;thoseprovisionsmustbereached:itisamatteroflifeordeath;tobeornottobe。Thenhowdoestheflysetaboutit？Itwouldbevainformetoquestionprobabilities，toooftenillusory;toobtainareplyofanyvalue，Ihavebutoneresource;ImustattemptthenearlyimpossibleandwatchtheAnthraxfromtheeggonwards。

AlthoughAnthraxfliesarefairlycommon，inthesenseoftherebeingseveraldifferentspecies，theyarenotplentifulwhenitisacaseofwantingacolonypopulousenoughtoadmitofcontinuousobservation。Iseethem，nowhere，nowthere，inthefiercelysun—

scorchedplaces，flittinghitherandthitherontheoldwalls，theslopesandthesand，sometimesinsmallplatoons，mostoftensingly。Icanexpectnothingofthosevagabonds，whoareheretodayandgonetomorrow，forIknownothingoftheirsettlements。

Tokeepawatchonthem，onebyone，intheblazingheat，isverypainfulandveryunfruitful，astheswift—wingedinsecthasahabitofdisappearingoneknowsnotwhitherjustwhenaprospectofcapturingitssecretbeginstooffer。Ihavewastedmanyapatienthouratthispursuit，withouttheleastresult。

TheremightbesomechanceofsuccesswithAnthraxflieswhosehomewasknowntousbeforehand，especiallyifinsectsofthesamespeciesformedaprettynumerouscolony。Theinquiriesbegunwithonewouldbecontinuedwithasecondandwithmore，untilacompleteverdictwasforthcoming。Now，inthecourseofmylongentomologicalcareer，IhavemetwithbuttwospeciesofAnthraxthatfulfilledthisconditionandweretobefoundregularly:oneatCarpentras;theotheratSerignan。Thefirst，Anthraxsinuata，FALLEN，livesinthecocoonsofOsmiatricornis，whoherselfbuildshernestintheoldgalleriesofthehairy—footedAnthophora;thesecond，Anthraxtrifasciata，MEIGEN，exploitstheChalicodomaoftheSheds。Iwillconsultboth。

Oncemore，hereamI，somewhatlateinlife，atCarpentras，whoserudeGallicnamesetsthefoolsmilingandthescholarthinking。

DearlittletownwhereIspentmytwentiethyearandleftthefirstbitsofmyfleeceuponlife’sbushes，myvisitoftodayisapilgrimage;Ihavecometolaymyeyesoncemoreupontheplacewhichsawthebirthoftheliveliestimpressionsofmyearlydays。

Ibow，inpassing，totheoldcollegewhereItriedmyprenticehandasateacher。Itsappearanceisunchanged;itstilllookslikeapenitentiary。Thoseweretheviewsofourmediaevaleducationalsystem。Tothegaietyandactivityofboyhood，whichwereconsideredunwholesome，itappliedtheremedyofnarrowness，melancholyandgloom。Itshousesofinstructionwere，aboveall，housesofcorrection。ThefreshnessofVirgilwasinterpretedinthestiflingatmosphereofaprison。Icatchaglimpseofayardbetweenfourhighwalls，asortofbearpit，wherethescholarsfoughtforroomfortheirgamesunderthespreadingbranchesofaplanetree。Allaroundwerecellsthatlookedlikehorseboxes，withoutlightorair;thoseweretheclassrooms。Ispeakinthepasttense，fordoubtlessthepresentdayhasseenthelastofthisacademicdestitution。

Hereisthetobaccoshopwhere，onWednesdayevening，comingoutofthecollege，Iwouldbuyoncreditthewherewithaltofillmypipeandthustocelebrateontheevethejoysofthemorrow，thatblessedThursday[theweeklyhalf—holidayinFrenchschools]whichIconsideredsowellemployedinsolvinghardequations，experimentingwithnewchemicalreagents，collectingandidentifyingmyplants。Iwouldmakemytimidrequest，pretendingtohavecomeoutwithoutmymoney，foritishardforaself—

respectingmantoadmitthatheispenniless。Mycandorappearstohaveinspiredsomelittleconfidence;andIobtainedcredit，anunprecedentedthing，withtherepresentativeoftherevenue。[ThegovernmentinFrancehasthesolecontrolofthetobaccotrade，whichformsanimportantbranchoftheinlandrevenue。]Ah，whydidnotIopenashopandexposeforsalesomepacketsofcandles，adozendriedcod，abarrelofsardinesandafewcakesofsoap！Iamnomoreofafoolnoranylessindustriousthananother;andI

shouldhavemademyway。But，asitwas，whatcouldIexpect？Asanaccoucheurofbrains，amolderofintellects，Ihadnoclaimeventobreadandcheese。

Hereismyformerhabitation，occupiedsincebydroningmonks。Intheembrasureofthatwindow，shelteredfromprofanehands，betweentheclosedoutershuttersandthepanes，Iusedtokeepmychemicals，boughtforafewsouscheatedoutoftheweeklybudgetintheearlydaysofourhousekeeping。Thebowlofapipewasmycrucible，asweetjarmyretort，mustardpotsmyreceptaclesforoxidesandsulfides。Myexperiments，harmlessordangerous，weremadeonacornerofthefirebesidethesimmeringbroth。

HowIshouldlovetoseethatroomagainwhereIporedoverdifferentialsandintegrals，whereIcalmedmypoorburningheadbygazingatMontVentoux，whosesummitheldinstoreformycomingexpedition’thosedenizensofarcticclimes，thesaxifrageandthepoppy！Andtoseemyfamiliarfriend，theblackboardwhichIhiredatfivefrancsayearfromacrustyjoiner，thatboardwhosevalueIpaidmanytimesover，thoughI。couldneverbuyitoutright，forwantofthenecessarycash！TheconicsectionswhichIdescribedonthatblackboard，thelearnedhieroglyphics！

Thoughallmyefforts，whichwerethemoredeservingbecauseIhadtoworkalone，ledtoalmostnothinginthatcongenialcalling，I

wouldbeginitalloveragainifIcould。IshouldlovetobeconversingforthefirsttimewithLeibnitzandNewton，withLaplaceandLagrange，withCuvierandJussieu，evenifIhadafterwardstosolvethatotherarduousproblem:howtoprocureone’sdailybread。Ah，youngmen，mysuccessors，whataneasytimeyouhaveofittoday！Ifyoudon’tknowit，thenletmetellyousobymeansofthesefewpagesfromthelifeofoneofyourelders。

Butletusnotforgetourinsects，whilelisteningtotheechoesofillusionsanddifficultiesrousedinmymemoriesbythecupboardwindowandthehiredblackboard。LetusgobacktothesunkenroadsoftheLegue，whichhavebecomeclassic，sotheysay，sincetheappearanceofmynotesontheOilbeetles。Yeillustriousravines，withyoursun—bakedslopes，ifIhavecontributedalittletoyourfame，you，inyourturn，havegivenmemanyfairhoursofforgetfulnessinthehappinessoflearning。You，atleast，didnotluremewithvainhopes;allthatyoupromisedyougavemeandoftenahundredfold。Youaremypromisedland，whereIwouldhavesoughtatthelasttopitchmyobserver’stent。Mywishwasnottoberealized。Letme，atleast，inpassing，greetmybelovedanimalsoftheolddays。

IraisemyhattoCerceristuberculata，whomIseeengagedonthatslant，storingherCleonus[alargespeciesofweevil]。AsIsawherthen，soIseehernow:thesamestaggeringattemptstohoistthepreytothemouthoftheburrow;thesamebrawlsbetweenmaleswatchinginthebrushwoodofthekermesoak。Thesightofthemsendsayoungerbloodcoursingthroughmyveins;Ireceiveasitwerethebreathofanewspringtimeoflife。Timepresses;letuspasson。

Anotherbowonthisside。Ihearbuzzingupabove，onthatledge，acolonyofSphexwasps，stabbingtheircrickets。Wewillgivethemafriendlyglance，butnomore。Myacquaintancesherearetoonumerous;Ihavenottheleisuretorenewmyformerrelationswithallofthem。Withoutstopping，awaveofthehattothePhilanthi[bee—huntingwasps]whosendthelongavalanchesofrubbishstreamingdownfromtheirnests;andtoStizusruficornis，[ahuntingwasp]whostacksherprayingmantisesbetweentwoflakesofsandstone;andtothesilkyAmmophila[adiggerwasp]withtheredlegs，whocollectsanundergroundstoreofloopers[alsoknownasmeasuringworms，thelarvaeorcaterpillarsofthegeometridmoth]

andtotheTachtyti[huntingwasps]，devourersoflocusts;andtotheEumenes，buildersofclaycupolasonabough。

Hereweareatlast。Thishigh，perpendicularrock，facingthesouthtoalengthofsomehundredsofyardsandriddledwithholeslikeamonstroussponge，isthetime—honoreddwellingplaceofthehairy—footedAnthophoraandofherrentfreetenant，thethree—

hornedOsmia。Herealsoswarmtheirexterminators:theSitarisbeetle，theparasiteoftheAnthophora;theAnthraxfly，themurdereroftheOsmia。Illinformedastotheproperperiod，I

havecomeratherlate，onthe10thofSeptember。Ishouldhavebeenhereamonthago，orevenbytheendofJuly，towatchthefly’soperations。Myjourneythreatenstobefruitless:IseebutafewrareAnthraxflies，hoveringroundthefaceofthecliff。Wewillnotdespair，however，andwewillbeginbyconsultingthelocality。

TheAnthophora’scellscontainthisbeeinthelarvalstage。SomeofthemprovidemewiththeoilbeetleandtheSitaris，rarefindsatonetime，todayofnousetome。OtherscontaintheMelecta[aparasiticbee]intheformofahighlycoloredpupa，oreveninthatofthefullgrowninsect。TheOsmia，stillmoreprecocious，thoughdatingfromthesameperiod，showsherselfexclusivelyintheadultform，abadomenformyinvestigations，forwhattheAnthraxdemandsisthelarvaandnottheperfectinsect。Thefly’sgrubdoublesmyapprehensions。Itsdevelopmentiscomplete，thelarvaonwhichitfeedsisconsumed，perhapsseveralweeksago。I

nolongerdoubtbutthatIhavecometoolatetoseewhathappensintheOsmia’scocoons。

Isthegamelost？Notyet。MynotescontainevidenceofAnthraxflieshatchinginthelatterhalfofSeptember。Besides，thosewhomInowseeexploringtherockarenottheretotakeexercise:

theirpreoccupationisthesettlingofthefamily。ThesebelatedonescannottackletheOsmia，who，withherfirm，adultflesh，wouldnotsuitthenursling’sdelicateneedsandwho，moreover，powerfulassheis，wouldofferresistance。Butinautumnalessnumerouscolonyofhoneygathererstakestheplace，upontheslope，ofthespringcolony，fromwhichitdiffersinspecies。Inparticular，IseetheDiademAnthidium[aclothierbeewholineshernestwithwoolandcotton]atwork，enteringhergalleriesatonetimewithherharvestofpollendustandatanotherwithherlittlebaleofcotton。MightnottheseautumnalBeesbethemselvesexploitedbytheAnthrax，thesamethatselectedtheOsmiaashervictimacoupleofmonthsearlier？ThiswouldexplainthepresenceoftheAnthraxflieswhomInowseefussingabout。

Alittlereassuredbythisconjecture，Itakemystandatthefootoftherock，underabroilingsun;and，forhalfaday，Ifollowtheevolutionsofmyflies。Theyflitquietlyinfrontoftheslope，atafewinchesfromtheearthycovering。Theygofromoneorificetothenext，butwithoutevenpenetrating。Forthatmatter，theirbigwings，extendedcrosswiseevenwhenatrest，wouldresisttheirentranceintoagallery，whichistoonarrowtoadmitthosespreadingsails。Andsotheyexplorethecliff，goingtoandfroandupanddown，withaflightthatisnowsudden，nowsmoothandslow。Fromtimetotime，IseetheAnthraxquicklyapproachthewallandlowerherabdomenasthoughtotouchtheearthwiththeendofherovipositor。Thisproceedingtakesnolongerthanthetwinklingofaneye。Whenitisdone，theinsectalightselsewhereandrests。Thenitresumesitssoberflight，itslonginvestigationsanditssuddenblowswiththetipofitsbellyagainstthelayerofearth。TheBombylii[beeflies]

observesimilartacticswhensoaringatashortheightabovetheground。

Iatoncerushedtothespottouched，lensinhand，inthehopeoffindingtheeggwhicheverythingtoldmewaslaidduringthattapoftheabdomen。Icoulddistinguishnothing，inspiteoftheclosestattention。Itistruethatmyexhaustion，togetherwiththeblindinglightandscorchingheat，madeexaminationverydifficult。Afterwards，whenImadetheacquaintanceofthetinythingthatissuesfromthategg，myfailurenolongersurprisedme。

Intheleisureofmystudy，withmyeyesrestedandwithmymostpowerfulglassesheldinahandnolongershakingwithexcitementandfatigue，Ihavetheverygreatestdifficultyinfindingtheinfinitesimalcreature，thoughIknowexactlywhereitlies。ThenhowcouldIseetheegg，wornoutasIwasunderthesun—bakedcliff，howdiscovertheprecisespotofalayingperformedinamomentbyaninsectseenonlyatadistance？InthepainfulconditionswhereinIfoundmyself，failurewasinevitable。

Despitemynegativeattempts，therefore，IremainconvincedthattheAnthraxfliesstrewtheireggsonebyone，onthespotsfrequentedbythosebeeswhosuittheirgrubs。Eachoftheirsuddenstrokeswiththetipoftheabdomenrepresentsalaying。

Theytakenoprecautiontoplacethegermundercover;forthatmatter，anysuchprecautionwouldberenderedimpossiblebythemother’sstructure。Theegg，thatdelicateobject，islaidroughlyintheblazingsun，betweengrainsofsand，insomewrinkleofthecalcinedchalk。Thatsummaryinstallationissufficient，providedthecovetedlarvabenearathand。Itisfortheyounggrubnowtomanageasbestitcanatitsownriskandperil。

ThoughthesunkenroadsoftheLeguedidnottellmeallthatI

wishedtoknow，theyatleastmadeitveryprobablethatthecominggrubmustreachthevictualledcellbyitsownefforts。Butthegrubwhichweknow，theonethatdrainsthebagoffatwhichmaybeaChalicodomalarvaoranOsmialarva，cannotmovefromitsplace，stilllessindulgeinjourneysofdiscoverythroughthethicknessofawallandthewebofacocoon。Soanimperativenecessitypresentsitself:theremustperforcebeaninitiallarvaform，capableofmovingandorganizedforsearching，aformunderwhichthegrubwouldattainitsend。TheAnthraxwouldthuspossesstwolarvalstates:onetopenetratetotheprovisions;theothertoconsumethem。Iallowmyselftobeconvincedbythelogicofitall;Ialreadyseeinmymind’seyetheweeanimalcomingoutoftheegg，endowedwithsufficientpowerofmotionnottodreadawalkandwithsufficientslendernesstoglideintothesmallestcrevices。Onceinthepresenceofthelarvaonwhichitistofeed，itdoffsitstravellingdressandbecomestheobeseanimalwhoseonedutyitistogrowbigandfatinimmobility。Thisisallverycoherent;itisalldeducedlikeageometricalproposition。Buttothewingsofimagination，howeversmooththeirflight，wemustpreferthesandalsofobservedfacts，theslowsandalswiththeleadensoles。Thusshod，Iproceed。

Nextyear，Iresumemyinvestigations，thistimeontheAnthraxoftheChalicodoma，whoismyneighborinthesurroundingwastelandsandwillallowmetorepeatmyvisitsdaily，morningandeveningifneedbe。Taughtbymyearlierstudies，InowknowtheexactperiodoftheBee’shatchingandthereforeoftheAnthrax’laying，whichmusttakeplacesoonafter。AnthraxtrifasciatasettlesherfamilyinJuly，orinAugustatlatest。Everymorning，atnineo’clock，whentheheatbeginstobeunendurableandwhen，touse[theauthor’sgardenerandfactotum]Favier’sexpression，anextralogisflungonthebonfireofthesun，Itakethefield，preparedtocomebackwithmyheadachingfromtheglare，providedthatIbringhomethesolutionofmypuzzle。Amanmusthavethedevilinhimtoleavetheshadeatthistimeoftheyear。Andwhatfor，pray？