Itwasthereforeinnearlythecertaintyofnon-fulfilmentthatImademyfirstattemptsatrearingcarnivorouslarvaewithaquarrywhichdidnotconformwiththecustomaryregimen。Forconscience\'sake，moreorlessperfunctorily，Iendeavouredtoachievesomethingthatseemedtomeboundtoendinpitifulfailure。OnlytheBembex-wasps，whichareplentifulinthesandoftheneighbouringhills，mightstillaffordme，withouttooprolongedasearch，afewsubjectsonwhichtoexperiment。TheTarsalBembexfurnishedmewithwhatIwanted:larvaeyoungenoughtohavestillbeforethemalongperiodoffeedingandyetsufficientlydevelopedtoendurethetrialsofaremoval。
Theselarvaareexhumedwithalltheconsiderationwhichtheirdelicateskindemands；anumberofheadofgamearelikewiseunearthedintact，havingbeenrecentlybroughtbythemother。TheyconsistofvariousDiptera，includingsomeAnthrax-flies。(Cf。“TheLifeoftheFly“:chapters2and4——Translator\'sNote。)Anoldsardine-box，containingalayerofsiftedsandanddividedintocompartmentsbypaperpartitions，receivesmycharges，whoareisolatedonefromanother。TheseFly-eatersIproposetoturnintoGrasshopper-eaters；fortheirBembex-dietIintendtosubstitutethedietofaSphexoraTachytes。Tosavemyselftediouserrandsdevotedtoprovisioningtherefectory，Iacceptwhatgoodfortuneoffersmeattheverythresholdofmydoor。AgreenLocustid，withashortsabrebentintoareaping-hook，Phaneropterafalcata，isravagingthecorollaeofmypetunias。Nowisthetimetoindemnifymyselfforthedamagewhichshehascausedme。Ipickheryoung，halftothree-quartersofaninchinlength；
andIdepriveherofmovement，withoutmoreado，bycrushingherhead。InthisconditionsheisserveduptotheBembex-larvaeinplaceoftheirFlies。
Ifthereaderhassharedmyconvictionsoffailure，convictionsbasedonverylogicalmotives，hewillnowsharemyprofoundsurprise。Theimpossiblebecomespossible，thesenselessbecomesreasonableandtheexpectedbecomestheoppositeofthereal。ThedishservedontheBembeces\'
tableforthefirsttimesinceBembecescameintotheworldisacceptedwithoutanyrepugnanceandconsumedwitheverymarkofsatisfaction。Iwillheresetdownthedetaileddiaryofoneofmyguests；thatoftheotherswouldonlybearepetition，saveforafewvariations。
2AUGUST，1883——ThelarvaoftheBembex，asIextractitfromitsburrow，isabouthalf-developed。ArounditIfindonlysomescantyrelicsofitsmeals，consistingchieflyofAnthrax-wings，half-diaphanousandhalf-
clouded。Themotherwouldappeartohavecompletedthevictuallingbyfreshcontributions，addeddaybyday。Igivethenurseling，whichisanAnthrax-
eater，ayoungPhaneroptera。TheLocustidisattackedwithouthesitation。
Thisprofoundchangeinthecharacterofitsvictualsdoesnotseemintheleasttodisturbthelarva，whichbitesstraightintotherichmorselwithitsmandiblesanddoesnotletgountilithasexhaustedit。Towardseveningthedrainedcarcaseisreplacedbyanother，quitefresh，ofthesamespeciesbutbulkier，measuringoverthree-quartersofaninch。
3AUGUST——NextdayIfindthePhaneropteradevoured。Nothingremainsbutthedryinteguments，whicharenotdismembered。Theentirecontentshavedisappeared；thegamehasbeenemptiedthroughalargeopeningmadeinthebelly。AregularGrasshopper-eatercouldnothaveoperatedmoreskilfully。
IreplacetheworthlesscarcasebytwosmallLocustidae。Atfirstthelarvadoesnottouchthem，beingamplysatedwiththecopiousmealofthedaybefore。Intheafternoon，however，oneoftheitemsisresolutelyattacked。
4AUGUST——Irenewthevictuals，althoughthoseofthedaybeforearenotfinished。Fortherest，Idothesamedaily，sothatmychargemayconstantlyhavefreshfoodathand。Highgamemightupsetitsstomach。MyLocustidaearenotvictimsatthesametimelivingandinert，operateduponaccordingtothedelicatemethodoftheinsectsthatparalysetheirprey；
theyarecorpses，procuredbyabrutalcrushingofthehead。Withthetemperaturenowprevailing，fleshsoonbecomestainted；andthiscompelsmefrequentlytorenewtheprovisionsinmysardine-boxrefectory。Twospecimensareservedup。Oneisattackedsoonafterwards；andthelarvaclingstoitassiduously。
5AUGUST——Theravenousappetiteofthestartisbecomingassuaged。Mysuppliesmaywellbetoogenerous；anditmightbeprudenttotryalittledietingafterthisGargantuangoodcheer。Themothercertainlyismoreparsimonious。Ifallthefamilyweretoeatatthesamerateasmyguest，shewouldneverbeabletokeeppacewiththeirdemands。Therefore，forreasonsofhealth，thisisadayoffastingandvigil。
6AUGUST——SuppliesarerenewedwithtwoPhaneropterae。Oneisconsumedentirely；theotherisbitteninto。
7August——To-day\'srationistastedandthenabandoned。Thelarvaseemsuneasy。Withitspointedmouthitexploresthewallsofitschamber。Thissigndenotestheapproachofthetimeformakingthecocoon。
8AUGUST——Duringthenightthelarvahasspunitssilkeneel-trap。Itisnowencrustingitwithgrainsofsand。Thenfollow，induetime，thenormalphasesofthemetamorphosis。FedonLocustidae，adietunknowntoitsrace，thelarvapassesthroughitsseveralstageswithoutanymoredifficultythanitsbrothersandsistersfedonFlies。
IobtainedthesamesuccessinofferingyoungMantesforfood。Oneofthelarvaethusservedwouldeveninclinemetobelievethatitpreferredthenewdishtothetraditionaldietofitsrace。TwoEristales，orDrone-
flies，andaPrayingMantisaninchlongcomposeditsdailyallowance。TheDrone-fliesaredisdainedfromthefirstmouthful；andtheMantis，alreadytastedandapparentlyfoundexcellent，causestheFlytobecompletelyforgotten。Isthisanepicure\'spreference，duetothegreaterjuicinessoftheflesh？Iamnotinapositiontosay。Atallevents，theBembexisnotsoinfatuatedwithFlyastorefusetoabandonitforothergame。
ThefailurewhichIforesawhasprovedamagnificentsuccess。Itisfairlyconvincing，isitnot？Withouttheevidenceofexperiment，whatcanwerelyupon？BeneaththeruinsofsomanytheorieswhichappearedtobemostsolidlyerectedIshouldhesitatetoadmitthattwoandtwomakefourifthefactswerenotbeforeme。Myargumenthadthemosttemptingprobabilityonitsside，butithadnotthetruth。Asitisalwayspossibletofindreasonsaftertheeventinsupportofanopinionwhichonewouldnotatfirstadmit，Ishouldnowargueasfollows:
Theplantisthegreatfactoryinwhichareelaborated，withmineralmaterials，theorganicprincipleswhicharethematerialsoflife。Certainproductsarecommontothewholevegetableseries，butothers，farlessnumerous，arepreparedinspeciallaboratories。Eachgenus，eachspecieshasitstrade-mark。Hereessentialoilsaremanufactured；herealkaloids；
herestarches，fattysubstances，resins，sugars，acids。Henceresultspecialenergies，whichdonotsuiteveryherbivorousanimal。Itassuredlyrequiresastomachmadeexpresslyforthepurposetodigestaconite，colchicum，hemlockorhenbane；thosewhohavenotsuchastomachcouldneverendureadietofthatsort。Besides，theMithridatesfedonpoisonresistonlyasingletoxin。(MithridatesVI。KingofPontus(d。B。C。63)issaidtohavesecuredimmunityfrompoisonbytakingincreaseddosesofit——
Translator\'sNote。)ThecaterpillaroftheDeath\'s-headHawk-moth，whichdelightsinthesolaninofthepotato，wouldbekilledbytheacridprincipleofthetithymalsthatformthefoodoftheSpurge-caterpillar。
Theherbivorouslarvaearethereforeperforceexclusiveintheirtastes，becausedifferentgeneraofvegetablespossessverydifferentproperties。
Withthisvarietyintheproductsoftheplant，theanimal，aconsumerfarmorethanaproducer，contraststheuniformityinitsownproducts。ThealbumenintheeggoftheOstrichortheChaffinch，thecaseininthemilkoftheCowortheAss，themuscularfleshoftheWolfortheSheep，theScreech-owlortheField-mouse，theFrogortheEarth-worm:theseremainalbumen，caseinorfibrin，edibleifnoteaten。Herearenoexcruciatingcondiments，nospecialacridities，noalkaloidsfataltoanystomachotherthanthatoftheappointedconsumer；sothatanimalfoodisnotconfinedtooneandthesameeater。Whatdoesnotmaneat，fromthatdelicacyofthearcticregions，soupmadeofSeal\'sbloodandascrapofWhale-blubberwrappedinawillow-leafforavegetable，totheChinaman\'sfriedSilk-wormortheArab\'sdriedLocust？Whatwouldhenoteat，ifhehadnottoovercometherepugnancedictatedbyhabitratherthanbyactualnecessity？
Thepreybeinguniforminitsnutritiveprinciples，thecarnivorouslarvaoughttoaccommodateitselftoanysortofgame，aboveallifthenewdishbenottoogreatadeparturefromconsecratedusage。ThusshouldIargue，withnolessprobabilityonmyside，hadItobeginalloveragain。But，asallourargumentshavenotthevalueofasinglefact，Ishouldbeforcedintheendtoresorttoexperiment。
Ididsothenextyear，onalargerscaleandwithagreatervarietyofsubjects。Ishrinkfromacontinuousnarrativeofmyexperimentsandofmypersonaleducationinthisnewart，wherethefailureofonedaytaughtmethewaytosucceedonthemorrow。Itwouldbelongandtedious。EnoughifI
brieflystatemyresultsandtheconditionswhichmustbefulfilledinordertorunthedelicaterefectoryasitshouldberun。
And，first，wemustnotdreamofdetachingtheeggfromitsnaturalpreytolayitonanother。Theeggadheresprettyfirmly，byitscephalicpole，tothequarry。Toremoveitfromitsplacewouldinevitablyjeopardizeitsfuture。Ithereforeletthelarvahatchandacquiresufficientstrengthtobeartheremovalwithoutperil。Forthatmatter，myexcavationsmostoftenprovidemewithmysubjectsintheformoflarvae。Iadoptforrearing-
purposesthelarvaethatareaquartertoahalfdeveloped。Theothersaretooyoungandriskytohandle，ortoooldandlimitedtoashortperiodofartificialfeeding。
Secondly，Iavoidbulkyheadsofgame，asingleoneofwhichwouldsufficeforthewholegrowing-stage。IhavealreadysaidandIhererepeathowniceamatteritistoconsumeavictimwhichhastokeepfreshforacoupleofweeksandnottofinishdyinguntilitisalmostentirelydevoured。Deathhereleavesnocorpse；whenlifeisextinct，thebodyhasdisappeared，leavingonlyashredofskin。Larvaewithonlyonelargepreyhaveaspecialartofeating，adangerousart，inwhichaclumsybitewouldprovefatal。Ifbittenbeforethepropertimeatsuchapoint，thevictimbecomesputrid，whichpromptlycausesdeathbypoisoningintheconsumer。Whendivertedfromitsplanofattack，deprivedofitsclue，thelarvaisnotalwaysabletorediscoverthelawfulmorselsingoodtimeandiskilledbythedecompositionofitsbadlydissectedprey。Whatwillhappeniftheexperimentergivesitagametowhichitisnotaccustomed？Notknowinghowtoeatitaccordingtorule，thelarvawillkillit；andbynextdaythevictualswillhavebecomesomuchtoxicputrescence。IhavealreadytoldhowIfounditimpossibletoreartheTwo-bandedScoliaonOryctes-larvae，fasteneddowntodeprivethemofmovement，orevenonEphippigers，paralysedbytheLanguedocianSphex。Inbothcasesthenewdietwasacceptedwithouthesitation，aproofthatitsuitedthenurseling；butinadayortwoputrescencesupervenedandtheScoliaperishedonthefetidmorsel。ThemethodofpreservingtheEphippiger，sowellknowntotheSphex，wasunknowntomyboarder；inthiswasenoughtoconvertadeliciousfoodintopoison。
Evensodidmyotherattemptsmiscarrywretchedly，attemptsatfeedingwiththesingledishconsistingofonebigheadofgametoreplacethenormalration。Onlyonesuccessisrecordedinmynotebooks，butthatwassodifficultthatIwouldnotundertaketoobtainitasecondtime。I
succeededinfeedingthelarvaoftheHairyAmmophilawithanadultblackCricket，whowasacceptedasreadilyasthenaturalgame，thecaterpillar。
Toavoidputrefactionofvictualswhichlastoverlongandarenotconsumedaccordingtothemethodindispensabletotheirpreservation，Iemploysmallgame，eachpieceofwhichcanbefinishedbythelarvaatasinglesitting，oratmostinasingleday。Itmatterslittlethenthatthevictimisslashedanddismemberedatrandom；decompositionhasnotimetoseizeuponitsstillquiveringtissues。Thisistheprocedureofthoselarvaewhichgulpdowntheirfood，snappingatrandomwithoutdistinguishingonepartfromanother，suchastheBembex-larvae，whichfinishtheFlyintowhichtheyhavebittenbeforebeginninganotherintheheap，ortheCerceris-
larvae，whichdraintheirWeevilsmethodicallyoneafteranother。Withthefirststrokesofthemandiblesthevictimbroachedmaybemortallywounded。
Thisisnodisadvantage:abriefspellsufficestomakeuseofthecorpse，whichissavedfromputrefactionbybeingpromptlyconsumed。Closebesideit，theothervictims，quitealivethoughmotionless，awaittheirrespectiveturnsandsupplyreservesofvictualswhicharealwaysfresh。
IamtoounskilfulabutchertoimitatetheWaspandmyselftoresorttoparalysis；moreover，thecausticliquidinjectedintothenerve-centres，ammoniainparticular，wouldleavetracesofsmellorflavourwhichmightputoffmyboarders。Iamthereforecompelledtodeprivemyinsectsofthepowerofmovementbykillingthemoutright。Thismakesitimpracticabletoprovideasufficiencyofprovisionsbeforehandinasinglesupply:whileoneitemoftherationwasbeingconsumedtherestwouldspoil。Oneexpedientaloneremainstome，onewhichentailsconstantattendance:itistorenewtheprovisionseachday。Whenalltheseconditionsarefulfilled，thesuccessofartificialfeedingisstillnotwithoutitsdifficulties；
nevertheless，withalittlecareandaboveallplentyofpatience，itisalmostcertain。
ItwasthusthatIrearedtheTarsalBembex，whicheatsAnthrax-fliesandotherDiptera，onyoungLocustidaeorMantidae；theSilkyAmmophila，whosedietconsistschieflyofMeasuring-worms，onsmallSpiders；thepot-makingPelopaeus，aSpider-eater，ontenderAcridians；theSandCerceris，apassionateloverofWeevils，onHalicti；theBee-eatingPhilanthus，whichfeedsexclusivelyonHive-bees，onEristalesandotherFlies。Withoutsucceedinginmyfinalaim，forreasonswhichIhavejustexplained，IhaveseentheTwo-bandedScoliafeastinggreedilyonthegruboftheOryctes，whichwassubstitutedforthatoftheCetonia，andputtingupwithanEphippigertakenfromtheburrowoftheSphex；IhavebeenpresentattherepastofthreeHairyAmmophilaeacceptingwithanexcellentappetitetheCricketthatreplacedtheircaterpillar。Oneofthem，asIhaverelated，contrivedtokeepitsrationfresh，whichenabledittoreachitsfulldevelopmentandtospinitscocoon。
Theseexamples，theonlyonestowhichmyexperimentshaveextendedhitherto，seemtomesufficientlyconvincingtoallowmetoconcludethatthecarnivorouslarvadoesnothaveexclusivetastes。Therationsuppliedtoitbythemother，somonotonous，solimitedinquality，mightbereplacedbyothersequallytoitstaste。Varietydoesnotdispleasethelarva；itdoesitasmuchgoodasuniformity；indeed，itwouldbeofgreaterbenefittotherace，asweshallseepresently。
CHAPTER8。ADIGATTHEEVOLUTIONISTS。
Torearacaterpillar-eateronaskewerfulofSpidersisaveryinnocentthing，unlikelytocompromisethesecurityoftheState；itisalsoaverychildishthing，asIhastentoconfess，andworthyoftheschoolboywho，inthemysteriesofhisdesk，seeksasbesthemaysomediversionfromthefascinationsofhisexerciseincomposition。AndIshouldnothaveundertakentheseinvestigations，stilllessshouldIhavespokenthem，notwithoutsomesatisfaction，ifIhadnotdiscerned，intheresultsobtainedinmyrefectory，acertainphilosophicimport，involving，soitseemedtome，theevolutionarytheory。
Itisassuredlyamajesticenterprise，commensuratewithman\'simmenseambitions，toseektopourtheuniverseintothemouldofaformulaandsubmiteveryrealitytothestandardofreason。Thegeometricianproceedsinthismanner:hedefinesthecone，anidealconception；thenheintersectsitbyaplane。Theconicsectionissubmittedtoalgebra，anobstetricalappliancewhichbringsforththeequation；andbehold，entreatednowinonedirection，nowinanother，thewomboftheformulagivesbirthtotheellipse，thehyperbola，theparabola，theirfoci，theirradiusvectors，theirtangents，theirnormals，theirconjugateaxes，theirasymptotesandtherest。Itismagnificent，somuchsothatyouareovercomebyenthusiasm，evenwhenyouaretwentyyearsold，anagehardlyadaptedtotheausteritiesofmathematics。Itissuperb。Youfeelasifyouwerewitnessingthecreationofaworld。
Asamatteroffact，youaremerelyobservingthesameideafromdifferentpointsofview，whichareilluminedbythesuccessivephasesofthetransformedformula。Allthatalgebraunfoldsforourbenefitwascontainedinthedefinitionofthecone，butitwascontainedasagerm，underlatentformswhichthemagicofthecalculusconvertsintoexplicitforms。Thegrossvaluewhichourmindconfidedtotheequationitreturnstous，withoutlossorgain，incoinsstampedwitheverysortofeffigy。Andherepreciselyisthatwhichconstitutestheinflexiblerigourofthecalculus，theluminouscertaintybeforewhicheverycultivatedmindisforcedtobow。
Algebraistheoracleoftheabsolutetruth，becauseitrevealsnothingbutwhatthemindhadhiddeninitunderanamalgamofsymbols。Weput2and2
intothemachine；therollersworkandshowus4。Thatisall。
Buttothiscalculus，all-powerfulsolongasitdoesnotleavethedomainoftheideal，letussubmitaverymodestreality:thefallofagrainofsand，thependularmovementofahangingbody。Themachinenolongerworks，ordoessoonlybysuppressingalmosteverythingthatisreal。Itmusthaveanidealmaterialpoint，anidealrigidthread，anidealpointofsuspension；andthenthependularmovementistranslatedbyaformula。Buttheproblemdefiesalltheartificesofanalysisiftheoscillatingbodyisarealbody，endowedwithvolumeandfriction；ifthesuspensorythreadisarealthread，endowedwithweightandflexibility；ifthepointofsupportisarealpoint，endowedwithresistanceandcapableofdeflection。Sowithotherproblems，howeversimple。Theexactrealityescapestheformula。
Yes，itwouldbeafinethingtoputtheworldintoanequation，toassumeasthefirstprincipleacellfilledwithalbumenandbytransformationaftertransformationtodiscoverlifeunderitsthousandaspectsasthegeometriciandiscoverstheellipseandtheothercurvesbyexamininghisconicsection。Yes，itwouldbemagnificentandenoughtoaddacubittoourstature。Alas，howgreatlymustweabateourpretensions！Therealityisbeyondourreachwhenitisonlyamatteroffollowingagrainofdustinitsfall；andwewouldundertaketoascendtheriveroflifeandtraceittoitssource！Theproblemisamorearduousonethanthatwhichalgebradeclinestosolve。Thereareformidableunknownquantitieshere，moredifficulttodecipherthantheresistances，thedeflectionsandthefrictionsofthependulum。Letuseliminatethem，thatwemaymoreeasilypropoundthetheory。
Verywell；butthenmyconfidenceinthisnaturalhistorywhichrepudiatesnatureandgivesidealconceptionsprecedenceoverrealfactsisshaken。
So，withoutseekingtheopportunity，whichisnotmybusiness，Itakeitwhenitpresentsitself；Iexaminethetheoryofevolutionfromeveryside；
and，asthatwhichIhavebeenassuredisthemajesticdomeofamonumentcapableofdefyingtheagesappearstometobenomorethanabladder，I
irreverentlydigmypinintoit。
Hereisthelatestdig。Adaptabilitytoavarieddietisanelementofwell-beingintheanimal，afactorofprimeimportancefortheextensionandpredominanceofitsraceinthebitterstruggleforlife。Themostunfortunatespecieswouldbethatwhichdependedforitsexistenceonadietsoexclusivethatnoothercouldreplaceit。WhatwouldbecomeoftheSwallowifherequired，inordertolive，oneparticularGnat，asingleGnat，alwaysthesame？WhenoncethisGnathaddisappeared——andthelifeoftheMosquitoisnotalongone——thebirdwoulddieofstarvation。
Fortunatelyforhimselfandforthehappinessofourhomes，theSwallowgulpsthemalldownindiscriminately，togetherwithahostofotherinsectsthatperformaerialballets。WhatwouldbecomeoftheLarkwerehisgizzardabletodigestonlyoneseed，invariablythesame？Whentheseasonforthisseedwasover——andtheseasonisalwaysashortone——thehaunterofthefurrowswouldperish。
Isnotman\'scomplaisantstomach，adaptedtothelargestvarietyofnourishment，oneofhisgreatzoologicalprivileges？Heisthusrenderedindependentofclimates，seasonsandlatitudes。AndtheDog:howisitthatofallthedomesticanimalshealoneisabletoaccompanyuseverywhere，evenonthemostarduousexpeditions？TheDogagainisomnivorousandthereforeacosmopolitan。
Thediscoveryofanewdish，saidBrillat-Savarin，isofgreaterimportancetohumanitythanthediscoveryofanewplanet。Theaphorismisnearertothetruththanitappearstobeinitshumorousform。Certainlythemanwhowasthefirsttothinkofcrushingwheat，kneadingflourandcookingthepastebetweentwohotstoneswasmoredeservingthanthediscovererofthetwo-hundredthasteroid。TheinventionofthepotatoiscertainlyasvaluableasthatofNeptune，gloriousasthelatterwas。Allthatincreasesouralimentaryresourcesisadiscoveryofthefirstmerit。Andwhatistrueofmancannotbeotherthantrueofanimals。Theworldbelongstothestomachwhichisindependentofspecialities。Thistruthisofthekindthathasonlytobestatedtobeproved。
Letusnowreturntoourinsects。IfIamtobelievetheevolutionists，thevariousgame-huntingWaspsaredescendedfromasmallnumberoftypes，whicharethemselvesderived，byanincalculablenumberofconcatenations，fromafewamoebae，afewmoneraandlastlyfromthefirstclotofprotoplasmwhichwascasuallycondensed。Letusnotgobackasfarasthat；
letusnotplungeintothefogswhereillusionanderrortooeasilyfindalurking-place。Letusconsiderasubjectwithexactlimitstoit；thisistheonlywaytounderstandoneanother。
TheSphegidaearedescendedfromasingletype，whichitselfwasalreadyahighly-developeddescendantand，likeitssuccessors，feditsfamilyonprey。Theclosesimilarityinform，incolouringand，aboveall，inhabitsseemtorefertheTachytestothesameorigin。Thisisample；letusbesatisfiedwithit。Andnowpleasetellme，whatdidthisprototypeoftheSphegidaehunt？Wasitsdietvariedoruniform？Ifwecannotdecide，letusexaminethetwocases。
Thedietwasvaried。IheartilycongratulatethefirstbornoftheSphex-
wasps。Sheenjoyedthemostfavourableconditionsforleavingaprosperousoffspring。Accommodatingherselftoanykindofpreynotdisproportionatetoherstrength，sheavoidedthedearthofagivenspeciesofgameatthisorthattimeandinthisorthatplace；shealwaysfoundthewherewithaltoendowherfamilymagnificently，theybeing，forthatmatter，fairlyindifferenttothenatureofthevictuals，providedthattheseconsistedoffreshinsect-flesh，asthetastesoftheircousinsmanytimesremovedprovetothisday。ThismatriarchoftheSphexclanborewithinherselfthebestchancesofassuringvictorytoheroffspringinthatpitilessfightforexistencewhicheliminatestheweaklyandincapableandallowsnonebutthestrongandindustrioustosurvive；shepossessedanaptitudeofgreatvaluewhichatavismcouldnotfailtohanddownandwhichherdescendants，whoaregreatlyinterestedinpreservingthismagnificentinheritance，musthavepermanentlyadoptedandevenaccentuatedfromonegenerationtothenext，fromonebranch，oneoffshoot，toanother。
Insteadofthisunscrupulouslyomnivorousrace，levyingbootyuponeverykindofgame，toitsverygreatadvantage，whatdoweseeto-day？EachSphexisstupidlylimitedtoanunvaryingdiet；shehuntsonlyonekindofprey，thoughherlarvaacceptsthemall。OnewillhavenothingbuttheEphippigerandmusthaveafemaleatthat；anotherwillhavenothingbuttheCricket。ThisonehuntstheLocustandnothingelse；thatonetheMantisandtheEmpusa。YetanotherisaddictedtotheGreyWormandanothertotheLooper。
Fools！Howgreatwasyourmistakeinallowingthewiseeclecticismofyourancestress，whoserelicsnowreposeinthehardmudofsomelacustrianstratum，tobecomeobsolete！Howmuchbetterwouldthingsbeforyouandyours！Abundanceisassured；painfulandoftenfruitlesssearchesareavoided；thelarderiscrammedwithoutbeingsubjecttotheaccidentsoftime，placeandclimate。WhenEphippigersrunshort，youfallbackuponCrickets；whentherearenoCrickets，youcaptureGrasshoppers。Butno，mybeautifulSphex-wasps，youwerenotsuchfoolsasthat。Ifinourdaysyouareeachconfinedtoastandingfamily-dish，itisbecauseyourancestressofthelacustrianschistsnevertaughtyouvariety。
Couldshehavetaughtyouuniformity？LetussupposethattheSphexofantiquity，anoviceinthegastronomicart，preparedherpottedmeatswithasinglekindofgame，nomatterwhat。Itwasthenherdescendantswho，subdividedintogroupsandconstitutedintosomanydistinctspeciesbytheslowtravailofthecenturies，realizedthatinadditiontotheancestralfarethereexistedahostofotherfoods。Traditionbeingabandoned，therewasnothingtoguidetheirchoice。Theythereforetriedabitofeverythinginthewayofinsectgame，athap-hazard；andeachtimethelarva，whosetastesalonehadtobeconsulted，wassatisfiedwiththefoodsupplied，asitisto-dayintherefectoryprovisionedbymycare。
Everyattemptledtotheinventionofanewdish，animportantevent，accordingtothemasters，aninestimableresourceforthefamily，whoweretherebydeliveredfromthemenaceofdeathandenabledtothriveoverlargeareaswhencetheabsenceorrarityofauniformgamewouldhaveexcludedit。And，aftermakinguseofahostofdifferentviandsinordertoattaintheculinaryvarietywhichisto-dayadoptedbythewholeoftheSphexnation，loandbehold，eachspeciesconfinesitselftoasinglesortofgame，outsidewhicheveryspecimenisobstinatelyrefused，notattable，ofcourse，butinthehunting-field！Byyourexperiments，fromagetoage，tohavediscoveredvarietyindiet；tohavepractisedit，tothegreatadvantageofyourrace，andtoendupwithuniformity，thecauseofdecadence；tohaveknowntheexcellentandtorepudiateitforthemiddling:oh，mySphex-wasps，itwouldbestupidifthetheoryofevolutionwerecorrect！
Toavoidinsultingyouandalsofromrespectforcommonsense，Ipreferthereforetobelievethat，ifinourdaysyouconfineyourhuntingtoasinglekindofgame，itisbecauseyouhaveneverknownanyother。Iprefertobelievethatyourcommonancestress，yourprecursor，whetherhertastesweresimpleorcomplex，isapurechimera，for，iftheywereanyrelationshipbetweenyou，havingtestedeverythinginordertoarriveattheactualfoodofeachspecies，havingeateneverythingandfounditgratefultothestomach，youwouldnow，fromfirsttolast，beunprejudicedconsumers，omnivorousprogressives。Iprefertobelieve，inshort，thatthetheoryofevolutionispowerlesstoexplainyourdiet。Thisistheconclusiondrawnfromthedining-roominstalledinmyoldsardine-box。
CHAPTER9。RATIONINGACCORDINGTOSEX。
Consideredinrespectofquality，thefoodhasjustdisclosedourprofoundignoranceoftheoriginsofinstinct。Successfallstotheblusterers，totheimperturbabledogmatists，fromwhomanythingisacceptedifonlytheymakealittlenoise。Letusdiscardthisbadhabitandadmitthatreally，ifwegotothebottomofthings，weknownothingaboutanything。
Scientificallyspeaking，natureisariddletowhichhumancuriosityfindsnodefinitesolution。Hypothesisfollowshypothesis；thetheoreticalrubbish-heapgrowsbiggerandbigger；andstilltruthescapesus。Toknowhowtoknownothingmightwellbethelastwordofwisdom。
Consideredinrespectofquantity，thefoodsetsusotherproblems，nolessobscure。Thoseofuswhodevoteourselvesassiduouslytostudyingthecustomsofthegame-huntingWaspssoonfindourattentionarrestedbyaveryremarkablefact，atthetimewhenourmind，refusingtobesatisfiedwithsweepinggeneralities，whichourindolencetooreadilymakesshiftwith，seekstoenterasfaraspossibleintothesecretofthedetails，socuriousandsometimessoimportant，asandwhentheybecomebetter-knowntous。Thisfact，whichhaspreoccupiedmeformanyalongyear，isthevariablequantityoftheprovisionspackedintotheburrowasfoodforthelarva。
Eachspeciesisscrupulouslyfaithfultothedietofitsancestors。FormorethanaquarterofacenturyIhavebeenexploringmydistrict；andI
haveneverknownthediettovary。To-day，asthirtyyearsago，eachhuntressmusthavethegamewhichIfirstsawherpursuing。But，thoughthenatureofthevictualsisconstant，thequantityisnotso。Inthisrespectthedifferenceissogreatthathewouldneedtobeaverysuperficialobserverwhoshouldfailtoperceiveitonhisfirstexaminationoftheburrows。Inthebeginning，thisdifference，involvingtwo，three，fourtimesthequantityandmore，perplexedmeextremelyandledmetotheconclusionswhichIrejectto-day。
Here，amongtheinstancesmostfamiliartome，aresomeexamplesofthesevariationsinthenumberofvictimsprovidedforthelarva，victims，ofcourse，verynearlyidenticalinsize。InthelarderoftheYellow-wingedSphex，afterthevictuallingiscompletedandthehouseshutup，twoorthreeCricketsaresometimesfoundandsometimesfour。Stizusruficornis(Cf。“TheHuntingWasps“:chapter20；also“Bramble-beesandOthers“:
chapter9——Translator\'sNote。)，establishedinsomeveinofsoftsandstone，placesthreePrayingMantesinonecellandfiveinanother。OfthecasketsfashionedbyAmedeus\'Eumenes(Cf。“TheMason-wasps“:chapter1——Translator\'sNote。)outofclayandbitsofstone，themorerichlyendowedcontaintensmallcaterpillars，themorepoorlyfurnishedfive。TheSandCerceris(Cf。“TheHuntingWasps“:chapter2——Translator\'sNote。)
willsometimesprovidearationofeightWeevilsandsometimesoneoftwelveorevenmore。Mynotesaboundinabstractsofthiskind。Itisunnecessaryforthepurposeinhandtoquotethemall。ItwillserveourobjectbetterifIgivethedetailedinventoryoftheBee-eatingPhilanthusandoftheMantis-huntingTachytes，consideredespeciallywithregardtothequantityofthevictuals。
TheslayerofHive-beesisfrequentlyinmyneighbourhood；andIcanobtainfromherwiththeleasttroublethegreatestnumberofdata。InSeptemberI
seetheboldfilibusterflyingfromclumptoclumpofthepinkheatherpillagedbytheBee。Thebanditsuddenlyarrives，hovers，makesherchoiceandswoopsdown。Thetrickisdone:thepoorworker，withhertonguelollingfromhermouthinthedeath-struggle，iscarriedthroughtheairtotheundergroundden，whichisoftenaverylongwayfromthespotofthecapture。Thetricklingofearthyrefuse，onthebarebanks，orontheslopesoffootpaths，instantlyrevealsthedwellingsoftheravisher；and，asthePhilanthusalwaysworksinfairlypopulouscolonies，Iamable，bynotingthepositionofthecommunities，tomakesureoffruitfulexcavationsduringtheforcedinactivityofwinter。
Thesappingisalaborioustask，forthegalleriesruntoagreatdepth。
Favierwieldsthepickandspade；Ibreaktheclodswhichhebringsdownandopenthecells，whosecontents——cocoonsandremnantsofprovisions——I
atoncepourintoalittlescrewofpaper。Sometimes，whenthelarvaisnotdeveloped，thestackofBeesisintact；moreoftenthevictualshavebeenconsumed；butitisalwayspossibletotellthenumberofitemsprovided。
Theheads，abdomensandthoraxes，emptiedoftheirfleshysubstanceandreducedtothetoughouterskin，areeasilycounted。Ifthelarvahaschewedtheseovermuch，thewingsatleastareleft；thesearesaplessorganswhichthePhilanthusabsolutelyscorns。Theyarelikewisesparedbymoisture，putrefactionandtime，somuchsothatitisnomoredifficulttotakeaninventoryofacellseveralyearsoldthanoneofarecentcell。
Theessentialthingisnottooverlookanyofthesetinyrelicswhileplacingtheminthepaperbag，amidthethousandincidentsoftheexcavation。Therestoftheworkwillbedoneinthestudy，withtheaidofthelens，takingtheremainsheapbyheap；thewingswillbeseparatedfromthesurroundingrefuseandcountedinsetsoffour。Theresultwillgivetheamountoftheprovisions。Idonotrecommendthistasktoanyonewhoisnotendowedwithagoodstockofpatience，norabovealltoanyonewhodoesnotstartwiththeconvictionthatresultsofgreatinterestarecompatiblewithverymodestmeans。
Myinspectioncoversatotalofonehundredandthirty-sixcells，whicharedividedasinthetablebelow:
2cellseachcontaining1Bee52cellseachcontaining2Bees36cellseachcontaining3Bees36cellseachcontaining4Bees9cellseachcontaining5Bees1cellcontaining6Bees——
136
TheMantis-huntingTachytesconsumesitsheapofMantes，thehornyenvelopeincluded，withoutleavinganyremainsbutscantycrumbs，quiteinsufficienttoestablishthenumberofitemsprovided。Afterthemealiscompleted，anyinventoryoftherationsbecomesimpossible。Ithereforehaverecoursetothecellswhichstillcontaintheeggortheveryyounglarvaand，aboveall，tothosewhoseprovisionshavebeeninvadedbyatinyparasiticGnat，aTachina(Cf。“TheHuntingWasps“:chapters4and16——Translator\'sNote。)，whichdrainsthegamewithoutcuttingitupandleavesthewholeskinintact。Twenty-fivelarders，puttothecount，givemethefollowingresult:
8cellseachcontaining3items5cellseachcontaining4items4cellseachcontaining6items3cellseachcontaining7items2cellseachcontaining8items1cellcontaining9items1cellcontaining12items1cellcontaining16items——
25
ThepredominantgameisthePrayingMantis，green；nextcomestheGreyMantis，ash-coloured。AfewEmpusaemakeupthetotal。Thespecimensvaryindimensionswithinfairlyelasticlimits:Imeasuresomewhichareathirdtoahalfinchlong，averagingtwo-thirdstooneinchlong，andsomewhicharetwo-fifths，averagingthreequarters。Iseeprettyplainlythattheirnumberincreasesinproportionastheirsizediminishes，asthoughtheTachyteswereseekingtomakeupforthesmallnessofthegamebyincreasingtheamount；nonethelessIfinditquiteimpossibletodetecttheleastequivalencebycombiningthetwofactorsofnumberandsize。Ifthehuntressreallyestimatestheprovisions，shedoessoveryroughly；herhouseholdaccountsarenotatallwellkept；eachheadofgame，largeorsmall，mustalwayscountasoneinhereyes。
Putonmyguard，Ilooktoseewhetherthehoney-gatheringBeeshaveadoubleservice，likethegame-huntingWasps\'。Iestimatetheamountofhoneyedpaste；Igaugethecupsintendedtocontainit。Inmanycasestheresultresemblesthefirstobtained:theabundanceofprovisionsvariesfromonecelltoanother。CertainOsmiae(O。cornutaandO。tricornis(Cf。
“Bramble-beesandOthers“:passim；and，inparticular，chapters3to5——
Translator\'sNote。))feedtheirlarvaeonaheapofpollen-dustmoistenedinthemiddlewithaverylittledisgorgedhoney。Oneoftheseheapsmaybethreeorfourtimesthesizeofsomeotherinthesamegroupofcells。IfI
detachfromitspebblethenestoftheMason-bee，theChalicodomaoftheWalls，Iseecellsoflargecapacity，sumptuouslyprovisioned；closebesidetheseIseeothers，oflesscapacity，withvictualsparsimoniouslyallotted。Thefactisgeneral；anditisrightthatweshouldaskourselvesthereasonforthesemarkeddifferencesintherelativequantityoffoodstuffsandfortheseunequalrations。
Iatlastbegantosuspectthatthisisfirstandforemostaquestionofsex。InmanyBeesandWasps，indeed，themaleandthefemalediffernotonlyincertaindetailsofinternalorexternalstructure——apointofviewwhichdoesnotaffectthepresentproblem——butalsoinlengthandbulk，whichdependinahighdegreeonthequantityoffood。
LetusconsiderinparticulartheBee-eatingPhilanthus。Comparedwiththefemale，themaleisamereabortion。Ifindthatheisonlyathirdtohalfthesizeoftheothersex，asfarasIcanjudgebysightalone。Toobtainexactlytherespectivequantitiesofsubstance，Ishouldneeddelicatebalances，capableofweighingdowntoamilligramme。Myclumsyvillager\'sscales，onwhichpotatoesmaybeweighedtowithinakilogrammeorso，donotpermitofthisprecision。Imustthereforerelyontheevidenceofmysightalone，evidence，forthatmatter，whichisamplysufficientinthepresentinstance。Comparedwithhismate，theMantis-huntingTachytesislikewiseapigmy。Wearequiteastonishedtoseehimpesteringhisgiantessonthethresholdoftheburrows。
Weobservedifferencesnolesspronouncedofsize——andconsequentlyofvolume，massandweight——inthetwosexesofmanyOsmiae。Thedifferencesarelessemphatic，butarestillonthesameside，intheCerceres，theStizi，theSpheges，theChalicodomaeandmanymore。Itisthereforetherulethatthemaleissmallerthanthefemale。Thereareofcoursesomeexceptions，thoughnotmany；andIamfarfromdenyingthem。IwillmentioncertainAnthidiawherethemaleisthelargerofthetwo。Nevertheless，inthegreatmajorityofcasesthefemalehastheadvantage。
Andthisisasitshouldbe。Itisthemother，themotheralone，wholaboriouslydigsundergroundgalleriesandchambers，kneadstheplasterforcoatingthecells，buildsthedwelling-houseofcementandbitsofgrit，boresthewoodanddividestheburrowintostoreys，cutsthedisksofleafwhichwillbejoinedtogethertoformhoney-pots，worksuptheresingatheredindropsfromthewoundsinthepine-treestobuildceilingsintheemptyspiralofaSnail-shell，huntstheprey，paralysesitanddragsitindoors，gathersthepollen-dust，preparesthehoneyinhercrop，storesandmixesthepaste。Thisseverelabour，soimperiousandsoactive，inwhichtheinsect\'swholelifeisspent，manifestlydemandsabodilystrengthwhichwouldbequiteuselesstothemale，theamoroustrifler。
Thus，asageneralrule，intheinsectswhichcarryonanindustrythefemaleisthestrongersex。
Doesthispre-eminenceimplymoreabundantprovisionsduringthelarvalstage，whentheinsectisacquiringthephysicalgrowthwhichitwillnotexceedinitsfuturedevelopment？Simplereflectionsuppliestheanswer:
yes，theaggregategrowthhasitsequivalentintheaggregateprovisions。
ThoughsoslightacreatureasthemalePhilanthusfindsarationoftwoBeessufficientforhisneeds，thefemale，twiceorthriceasbulky，willconsumethreetosixatleast。IfthemaleTachytesrequiresthreeMantes，hisconsort\'smealwilldemandabatchofsomethingliketen。Withhercomparativecorpulence，thefemaleOsmiawillneedaheapofpastetwiceorthriceasgreatasthatofherbrother，themale。Allthisisobvious；theanimalcannotmakemuchoutoflittle。
Despitethisevidence，Iwasanxioustoenquirewhethertherealitycorrespondedwiththeprevisionsofthemostelementarylogic。Instancesarenotunknowninwhichthemostsagaciousdeductionshavebeenfoundtodisagreewiththefacts。Duringthelastfewyears，therefore，Ihaveprofitedbymywinterleisuretocollect，fromspotsnotedasfavourableduringtheworking-season，afewhandfulsofcocoonsofvariousDigger-
wasps，notablyoftheBee-eatingPhilanthus，whohasjustfurnisheduswithaninventoryofprovisions。Surroundingthesecocoonsandthrustagainstthewallofthecellweretheremnantsofthevictuals——wings，corselets，heads，wing-cases——acountofwhichenabledmetodeterminehowmanyheadofgamehadbeenprovidedforthelarva，nowenclosedinitssilkenabode。
Ithusobtainedthecorrectlistofprovisionsforeachofthehuntress\'
cocoons。Ontheotherhand，Iestimatedthequantitiesofhoney，orratherIgaugedthereceptacles，thecells，whosecapacityisproportionatetothemassoftheprovisionsstored。Aftermakingthesepreparations，registeringthecells，cocoonsandrationsandputtingallmyfiguresinorder，Ihadonlytowaitforthehatching-seasontodeterminethesex。
Well，Ifoundthatlogicandexperimentwereinperfectagreement。ThePhilanthus-cocoonswithtwoBeesgavememales，alwaysmales；thosewithalargerrationgavemefemales。FromtheTachytes-cocoonswithdoubleortreblethatrationIobtainedfemales。WhenfeduponfourorfiveNut-
weevils，theSandCerceriswasamale；whenfeduponeightorten，afemale。Inshort，abundantprovisionsandspaciouscellsyieldfemales；
scantyprovisionsandnarrowcellsyieldmales。ThisisalawuponwhichI
mayhenceforthrely。
Atthestagewhichwehavenowreachedaquestionarises，aquestionofmajorimportance，touchingthemostnebulousaspectofembryogeny。HowisitthatthelarvaofthePhilanthus，totakeaparticularcase，receivesthreetofiveBeesfromitsmotherwhenitistobecomeafemaleandnotmorethantwowhenitistobecomeamale？Herethevariousheadofgameareidenticalinsize，inflavour，innutritiveproperties。Thefood-valueispreciselyinproportiontothenumberofitemssupplied，ahelpfuldetailwhicheliminatestheuncertaintieswhereinwemightbeleftbytheprovisionofgameofdifferentspeciesandvaryingsizes。Howisit，then，thatahostofBeesandWasps，ofhoney-gatherersaswellashuntresses，storealargerorsmallerquantityofvictualsintheircellsaccordingasthenurselingsaretobecomefemalesormales？
Theprovisionsarestoredbeforetheeggsarelaid；andtheseprovisionsaremeasuredbytheneedsofthesexofaneggstillinsidethemother\'sbody。Iftheegg-layingweretoprecedetherationing，whichoccasionallytakesplace，aswiththeOdyneri(Cf。“TheHuntingWasps“:chapters2and8——Translator\'sNote。)，forexample，wemightimaginethatthegravidmotherenquiresintothesexoftheegg，recognizesitandstacksvictualsaccordingly。But，whetherdestinedtobecomeamaleorafemale，theeggisalwaysthesame；thedifferences——andIhavenodoubtthattherearedifferences——areinthedomainoftheinfinitelysubtle，themysterious，imperceptibleeventothemostpractisedembryogenist。Whatcanapoorinsectsee——intheabsolutedarknessofitsburrow，moreover——wheresciencearmedwithopticalinstrumentshasnotyetsucceededinseeinganything？
Andbesides，evenwereitmorediscerningthanweareinthesegeneticobscurities，itsvisualdiscernmentwouldhavenothingwhereupontopractice。AsIhavesaid，theeggislaidonlywhenthecorrespondingprovisionsarestored。Themealispreparedbeforethelarvawhichistoeatithascomeintotheworld。Thesupplyisgenerouslycalculatedbytheneedsofthecomingcreature；thedining-roomisbuiltlargeorsmalltocontainagiantoradwarfstillgerminatingintheovarianducts。Themother，therefore，knowsthesexofhereggbeforehand。
Astrangeconclusion，whichplayshavocwithourcurrentnotions！Thelogicofthefactsleadsustoitdirectly。Andyetitseemssoabsurdthat，beforeacceptingit，weseektoescapethepredicamentbyanotherabsurdity。Wewonderwhetherthequantityoffoodmaynotdecidethefateoftheegg，originallysexless。Givenmorefoodandmoreroom，theeggwouldbecomeafemale；givenlessfoodandlessroom，itwouldbecomeamale。Themother，obeyingherinstincts，wouldstoremorefoodinthiscaseandlessinthat；shewouldbuildnowalargeandnowasmallcell；andthefutureoftheeggwouldbedeterminedbytheconditionsoffoodandshelter。
Letusmakeeverytest，everyexperiment，downtotheabsurd:thecrudeabsurdityofthemomenthassometimesprovedtobethetruthofthemorrow。
Besides，thewell-knownstoryoftheHive-beeshouldmakeuswaryofrejectingparadoxicalsuppositions。Isitnotbyincreasingthesizeofthecell，bymodifyingthequalityandquantityofthefood，thatthepopulationofahivetransformsaworkerlarvaintoafemaleorroyallarva？Itistruethatthesexremainsthesame，sincetheworkersareonlyincompletelydevelopedfemales。Thechangeisnonethelessmiraculous，somuchsothatitisalmostlawfultoenquirewhetherthetransformationmaynotgofurther，turningamale，thatpoorabortion，intoasturdyfemalebymeansofaplentifuldiet。Letusthereforeresorttoexperiment。
IhaveathandsomelongbitsofreedinthehollowofwhichanOsmia，theThree-hornedOsmia，hasstackedhercells，boundedbyearthenpartitions。I
haverelatedelsewhere(Cf。“Bramble-beesandOthers“:chapters2to5——
Translator\'sNote。)howIobtainasmanyofthesenestsasIcouldwishfor。Whenthereedissplitlengthwise，thecellscomeintoview，togetherwiththeirprovisions，theegglyingonthepaste，oreventhebuddinglarva。Observationsmultipliedadnauseamhavetaughtmewheretofindthemalesandwherethefemalesinthisapiary。Themalesoccupythefore-partofthereed，theendnexttotheopening；thefemalesareatthebottom，nexttotheknotwhichservesasanaturalstoppertothechannel。Fortherest，thequantityoftheprovisionsinitselfpointstothesex:forthefemalesitistwiceorthriceasgreatasforthemales。
Inthescantily-providedcells，Idoubleortrebletherationwithfoodtakenfromothercells；inthecellswhichareplentifullysupplied，I
reducetheportiontoahalforathird。Controlsareleft:thatistosay，somecellsremainuntouched，withtheirprovisionsasIfoundthem，bothinthepartwhichisabundantlyprovidedandinthatwhichismoremeagrelyrationed。Thetwohalvesofthereedarethenrestoredtotheiroriginalpositionandfirmlyboundwithafewturnsofwire。Weshallsee，whenthetimecomes，whetherthesechangesincreasingordecreasingthevictualshavedeterminedthesex。
Hereistheresult:thecellswhichatfirstweresparinglyprovided，butwhosesuppliesweredoubledortrebledbymyartifice，containmales，asforetoldbytheoriginalamountofvictuals。ThesurpluswhichIaddedhasnotcompletelydisappeared，farfromit:thelarvahashadmorethanitneededforitsevolutionasamale；and，beingunabletoconsumethewholeofitscopiousprovisions，ithasspunitscocooninthemidstoftheremainingpollen-dust。Thesemales，sorichlysupplied，areofhandsomebutnotexaggeratedproportions；youcanseethattheadditionalfoodhasprofitedthemtosomesmallextent。
Thecellswithabundantprovisions，reducedtoahalforathirdbymyintervention，containcocoonsassmallasthemalecocoons，pale，translucentandlimp，whereasthenormalcocoonsaredark-brown，opaqueandfirmtothetouch。These，weperceiveatonce，aretheworkofstarved，anaemicweavers，who，failingtosatisfytheirappetiteandhavingeatenthelastgrainofpollen，have，beforedying，donetheirbestwiththeirpoorlittledropofsilk。Thosecocoonswhichcorrespondwiththesmallestallowanceoffoodcontainonlyadeadandshrivelledlarva；others，inwhosecasetheprovisionswerelessmarkedlydecreased，containfemalesintheadultform，butofverydiminutivesize，comparablewiththatofthemales，orevensmaller。AsforthecontrolswhichIwascarefultoleave，theyconfirmthefactthatIhadmalesinthepartneartheorificeofthereedandfemalesinthepartneartheknotclosingthechannel。
Isthisenoughtodisposeoftheveryimprobablesuppositionthatthedeterminationofthesexdependsonthequantityoffood？Strictlyspeaking，thereisstillonedooropentodoubt。Itmaybesaidthatexperiment，withitsartifices，doesnotsucceedinrealizingthedelicatenaturalconditions。Tomakeshortworkofallobjections，Icannotdobetterthanhaverecoursetofactsinwhichtheexperimenter\'shandhasnotintervened。Theparasiteswillsupplyuswiththesefacts；theywillshowushowalienthequantityandeventhequalityofthefoodarefromeitherspecificorsexualcharacters。Thesubjectofenquirythusbecomesdouble，insteadofsingleasitwaswhenIplunderedonecellinmysplitreedstoenrichanother。Letusfollowthisdoublecurrentforalittlewhile。
AnAmmophila，theSilkyAmmophila(Cf。“TheHuntingWasps“:chapter13——
Translator\'sNote。)，whichfeedsonLoopercaterpillars(KnownalsoasMeasuring-worms，Inchworms，SpanwormsandSurveyors:thecaterpillarsoftheGeometridMoths——Translator\'sNote。)，hasjustbeenrearedinmyrefectoryonSpiders。Repletetotheregulationpoint，itspinsitscocoon。
Whatwillemergefromthis？Ifthereaderexpectstoseeanymodifications，causedbyadietwhichthespecies，lefttoitself，hadnevereffected，lethimbeundeceivedandthatquickly。TheAmmophilafedonSpidersispreciselythesameastheAmmophilafedoncaterpillars，justasmanfedonriceisthesameasmanfedonwheat。InvainIpassmylensovertheproductofmyart:Icannotdistinguishitfromthenaturalproduct；andI
defythemostmeticulousentomologisttoperceiveanydifferencebetweenthetwo。Itisthesamewithmyotherboarderswhohavehadtheirdietaltered。
Iseetheobjectioncoming。Thedifferencesmaybeinappreciable，formyexperimentstouchonlyafirstrungoftheladder。Whatwouldhappeniftheladderwereprolonged，iftheoffspringoftheAmmophilafedonSpidersweregiventhesamefoodgenerationaftergeneration？Thesedifferences，atfirstimperceptible，mightbecomeaccentuateduntiltheygrewintodistinctspecificcharacters；thehabitsandinstinctsmightalsochange；andintheendthecaterpillar-huntressmightbecomeaSpider-huntress，withashapeofherown。Aspecieswouldbecreated，for，amongthefactorsatworkinthetransformationofanimals，themostimportantofallisincontestablythetypeoffood，thenatureofthethingwherewiththeanimalbuildsitself。AllthisismuchmoreimportantthanthetrivialitieswhichDarwinreliesupon。
Tocreateaspeciesismagnificentintheory，sothatwefindourselvesregrettingthattheexperimenterisnotabletocontinuetheattempt。But，oncetheAmmophilahasflownoutofthelaboratorytoslakeherthirstattheflowersintheneighbourhood，justtotrytofindheragainandinducehertoentrustyouwithhereggs，whichyouwouldrearintherefectory，toincreasethetasteforSpidersfromgenerationtogeneration！Merelytodreamofitweremadness。Shallwe，inourhelplessness，admitourselvesbeatenbytheevolutionaryeffectsofdiet？Notabitofit！Oneexperiment——andyoucouldnotwishforamoredecisive——iscontinuallyinprogress，apartfromallartifices，onanenormousscale。Itisbroughttoournoticebytheparasites。
Theymust，wearetold，haveacquiredthehabitoflivingonothersinordertosavethemselvesworkandtoleadaneasierlife。Thepoorwretcheshavemadeasorryblunder。Theirlifeisofthehardest。Ifafewestablishthemselvescomfortably，dearthanddirefamineawaitmostoftherest。
Therearesome——lookatcertainoftheOil-beetles——exposedtosomanychancesofdestructionthat，tosaveone，theyareobligedtoprocreateathousand。Theyseldomenjoyafreemeal。Somestrayintothehousesofhostswhosevictualsdonotsuitthem；othersfindonlyarationquiteinsufficientfortheirneeds；others——andtheseareverynumerous——findnothingatall。Whatmisadventures，whatdisappointmentsdotheseneedycreaturessuffer，unaccustomedastheyaretowork！Letmerelatesomeoftheirmisfortunes，gleanedatrandom。
TheGirdledDioxys(D。cincta)lovestheamplehoney-storesoftheChalicodomaofthePebbles。Thereshefindsabundantfood，soabundantthatshecannoteatitall。Ihavealreadypassedcensureonthiswaste。(Cf。
“TheMason-bees“:chapter10——Translator\'sNote。)NowalittleOsmia(O。
cyanoxantha，Perez)makeshernestintheMason\'sdesertedcells；andthisBee，avictimofherill-omeneddwelling，alsoharbourstheDioxys。Thisisamanifesterrorontheparasite\'spart。ThenestoftheChalicodoma，thehemisphereofmortaronitspebble，iswhatsheislookingfor，toconfidehereggstoit。Butthenestisnowoccupiedbyastranger，bytheOsmia，acircumstanceunknowntotheDioxys，whocomesstealinguptolayheregginthemother\'sabsence。Thedomeisfamiliartoher。Shecouldnotknowitbetterifshehadbuiltitherself。Hereshewasborn；hereiswhatherfamilywants。Moreover，thereisnothingtoarousehersuspicions:theoutsideofthehomehasnotchangeditsappearanceinanyrespect；thestopperofgravelandgreenputty，whichlaterwillformaviolentcontrastwithitswhitefront，isnotyetconstructed。Shegoesinandseesaheapofhoney。ToherthinkingthiscanbenothingbuttheChalicodoma\'sportion。Weourselveswouldbebeguiled，intheOsmia\'sabsence。Shelayshereggsinthisdeceptivecell。
Hermistake，whichiseasytounderstand，doesnotinanywaydetractfromhergreattalentsasaparasite，butitisaseriousmatterforthefuturelarva。TheOsmia，infact，inviewofhersmalldimensions，collectsbutaveryscantystoreoffood:alittleloafofpollenandhoney，hardlythesizeofanaveragepea。SucharationisinsufficientfortheDioxys。I
havedescribedherasawasteroffoodwhenherlarvaisestablished，accordingtocustom，inthecelloftheMason-bee。Thisdescriptionnolongerapplies；notintheveryleast。InadvertentlystrayingtotheOsmia\'stable，thelarvahasnoexcuseforturningupitsnose；itdoesnotleavepartofthefoodtogobad；iteatsupthelotwithouthavinghadenough。
Thisfamine-strickenrefectorycangiveusnothingbutanabortion。Asamatteroffact，theDioxyssubjectedtothisniggardlytestdoesnotdie，fortheparasitemusthaveatoughconstitutiontoenableittofacethedisastroushazardswhichlieinwaitforit；butitattainsbarelyhalfitsordinarydimensions，whichmeansone-eighthofitsnormalbulk。Toseeitthusdiminished，wearesurprisedatitstenaciousvitality，whichenablesittoreachtheadultforminspiteoftheextremedeficiencyoffood。
Meanwhile，thisadultisstilltheDioxys；thereisnochangeofanykindinhershapeorcolouring。Moreover，thetwosexesarerepresented；thisfamilyofpigmieshasitsmalesandfemales。DearthandthefarinaceousmessintheOsmia\'scellhashadnomoreinfluenceoverspeciesorsexthanabundanceandflowinghoneyintheChalicodoma\'shome。
ThesamemaybesaidoftheSpottedSapyga(S。punctata(AparasiticWasp。
Cf。“TheMason-bees“:chapters9and10——Translator\'sNote。))，which，aparasiteoftheThree-prongedOsmia，adenizenofthebramble，andoftheGoldenOsmia，anoccupantofemptySnail-shells，straysintothehouseoftheTinyOsmia(O。parvula(Thisbeemakesherhomeinthebrambles。Cf。
“Bramble-dwellersandOthers“:chapters2and3——Translator\'sNote。))，where，forlackofsufficientfood，itdoesnotattainhalfitsnormalsize。
ALeucopsis(Cf。“TheMason-bees“:chapter11——Translator\'sNote。)insertshereggsthroughthecementwallofourthreeChalicodomae。Iknowherundertwonames。WhenshecomesfromtheChalicodomaofthePebblesorWalls，whoseopulentlarvasaturatesherwithfood，shedeservesbyherlargesizethenameofLeucopsisgigas，whichFabriciusbestowsuponher；
whenshecomesfromtheChalicodomaoftheSheds，shedeservesnomorethanthenameofL。grandis，whichisallthatKluggrantsher。Withasmallerration“thegiant“istosomedegreediminishedandbecomesnomorethan“thelarge。“WhenshecomesfromtheChalicodomaoftheShrubs，sheissmallerstill；and，ifsomenomenclatorweretoseektodescribeher，shewouldnolongerdeservetobecalledmorethanmiddling。Fromdimension2
shehasdescendedtodimension1withoutceasingtobethesameinsect，despitethechangeofdiet；andatthesametimebothsexesarepresentinthethreenurselings，despitethevariationinthequantityofvictuals。
IobtainAnthraxsinuata(“TheMason-bees“:chapters8，10and11——
Translator\'sNote。)fromvariousbees\'nests。WhensheissuesfromthecocoonsoftheThree-hornedOsmia，especiallythefemalecocoons，sheattainsthegreatestdevelopmentthatIknowof。WhensheissuesfromthecocoonsoftheBlueOsmia(O。cyanea，KIRB。)，sheissometimeshardlyone-
thirdthelengthwhichtheotherOsmiagivesher。Andwestillhavethetwosexes——thatgoeswithoutsaying——andstillidenticallythesamespecies。
TwoAnthidia，workinginresin，A。septemdentatum，LATR。，andA。
bellicosum，LEP。(FortheseResin-bees，cf。“Bramble-beesandOthers“:
chapter10——Translator\'sNote。)，establishtheirdomicileinoldSnail-
shells。ThesecondharbourstheBurntZonitis(Z。proeusta(Cf。“TheGlow-
wormandOtherBeetles“:chapter6——Translator\'sNote。))。AmplynourishedthisMeloethenacquireshernormalsize，thesizeinwhichsheusuallyfiguresinthecollections。AlikeprosperityawaitsherwhensheusurpstheprovisionsofMegachilesericans。(ForthisBee，theSilkyLeaf-cutter，cf。“Bramble-beesandOthers“:chapter8——Translator\'sNote。)ButtheimprudentcreaturesometimesallowsitselftobecarriedawaytothemeagretableofthesmallestofourAnthidia(A。scapulare，LATR。(ACotton-bee，cf。idem:chapter9——Translator\'sNote。))，whomakeshernestsindrybramble-stems。Thescantyfaremakesawretcheddwarfoftheoffspringbelongingtoeithersex，withoutdeprivingthemofanyoftheirracialfeatures。WestillseetheBurntZonitis，withthedistinctivesignofthespecies:thesingedpatchatthetipofthewing-cases。
AndtheotherMeloidae——Cantharides，Cerocomae，Mylabres(FortheseBlister-beetlesorOil-beetles，cf。“TheGlow-wormandOtherBeetles“:
chapter6——Translator\'sNote。)——towhatinequalitiesofsizearetheynotsubject，irrespectiveofsex！Therearesome——andtheyarenumerous——whosedimensionsfalltoahalf，athird，aquarteroftheregulardimensions。
Amongthesedwarfs，thesemisbegottenones，thesevictimsofatrophy，therearefemalesaswellasmales；andtheirsmallnessbynomeanscoolstheiramorousardour。Theseneedycreatures，Irepeat，haveahardlifeofit。
Whencedotheycome，thesediminutiveBeetles，ifnotfromdining-roomsinsufficientlysuppliedfortheirneeds？Theirparasiticalhabitsexposethemtoharshvicissitudes。Nomatter:indearthaswellasinabundancethetwosexesappearandthespecificfeaturesremainunchanged。
Itisunnecessarytolingerlongeroverthissubject。Thedemonstrationiscompleted。Theparasitestellusthatchangesinthequantityandqualityoffooddonotleadtoanytransformationofspecies。FeduponthelarvaoftheThree-hornedOsmiaoroftheBlueOsmia，Anthraxsinuata，whetherofhandsomeproportionsoradwarf，isstillAnthraxsinuata；fedupontheallowanceoftheAnthidiumoftheemptySnail-shells，theAnthidiumofthebrambles，theMegachileordoubtlessmanyothers，theBurntZonitisisstilltheBurntZonitis。Yetvariationofdietoughttobeaverypotentialfactorintheproblemofprogresstowardsanotherform。Isnottheworldoflivingcreaturesruledbythestomach？Andthevalueofthisfactorisunity，changingnothingintheproduct。
Thesameparasitestellus——andthisisthechiefobjectofmydigression——
thatexcessordeficiencyofnutrimentdoesnotdeterminethesex。Soweareoncemoreconfrontedwiththestrangeproposition，whichisnowmorepositivethanever，thattheinsectwhichamassesprovisionsinproportiontotheneedsoftheeggabouttobelaidknowsbeforehandwhatthesexofthiseggwillbe。Perhapstherealityisevenmoreparadoxicalstill。I
shallreturntothesubjectafterdiscussingtheOsmiae，whoareveryweightywitnessesinthisgraveaffair。(Cf。“Bramble-beesandOthers“:
chapters3to5。Thestudentisrecommendedtoreadthesethreechaptersinconjunctionwiththepresentchapter，towhichtheyformasequel，withthatontheOsmiae(chapter2oftheabovevolume)intervening——
Translator\'sNote。)
CHAPTER10。THEBEE-EATINGPHILANTHUS。
TomeetamongtheWasps，thoseeagerloversofflowers，aspeciesthatgoeshuntingmoreorlessonitsownaccountiscertainlyanotableevent。Thatthelarderofthegrubshouldbeprovidedwithpreyisnaturalenough；butthattheprovider，whosedietishoney，shouldherselfmakeuseofthecaptivesisanythingbuteasytounderstand。Wearequiteastonishedtoseeanectar-drinkerbecomeablood-drinker。Butourastonishmentceasesifweconsiderthingsmoreclosely。Thedoublemethodoffeedingismoreapparentthanreal:thecropwhichfillsitselfwithsugaryliquiddoesnotgorgeitselfwithgame。TheOdynerus，whendiggingintothebodyofherprey，doesnottouchtheflesh，afareabsolutelyscornedascontrarytohertastes；shesatisfiesherselfwithlappingupthedefensivedropwhichthegrub(TheLarvaofChrysomelapopuli，thePoplarLeaf-beetle——Translator\'sNote。)distilsattheendofitsintestine。Thisfluidnodoubtrepresentstohersomehighly-flavouredbeveragewithwhichsheseasonsfromtimetotimethestapledietfetchedfromthedrinking-baroftheflowers，someappetizingcondimentorperhaps——whoknows？——somesubstituteforhoney。
Thoughthequalitiesofthedelicacyescapeme，IatleastperceivethattheOdynerusdoesnotcovetanythingelse。Onceitsjarisemptied，thelarvaisflungasideasworthlessoffal，acertainsignofanon-
carnivorousappetite。Undertheseconditions，thepersecutoroftheChrysomelaceasestosurpriseusbyindulginginthecryingabuseofadoublediet。
Weevenbegintowonderwhetherotherspeciesmaynotbeinclinedtoderiveadirectadvantagefromthehuntingimposeduponthemforthemaintenanceofthefamily。TheOdynerus\'methodofwork，thesplittingopenoftheanalstill-room，istoofarremovedfromtheobviousproceduretohavemanyimitators；itisasecondarydetailandimpracticablewithadifferentkindofgame。Butthereissuretobeacertainvarietyinthedirectmeansofutilizingthecapture。Why，forinstance，whenthevictimparalysedbythestingcontainsadeliciousbrothinsomepartofitsstomach，shouldthehuntressscrupletoviolateherdyingpreyandforceittodisgorgewithoutinjuringthequalityoftheprovisions？Theremustbethosewhorobthedead，attractednotbythefleshbutbytheexquisitecontentsofthecrop。
Inpointoffact，thereare；andtheyareevennumerous。WemaymentioninthefirstranktheWaspthathuntsHive-bees，theBee-eatingPhilanthus(P。
apivorus，LATR。)。Ilongsuspectedherofperpetratingtheseactsofbrigandageonherownbehalf，havingoftensurprisedhergluttonouslylickingtheBee\'shoney-smearedmouth；Ihadaninklingthatshedidnotalwayshuntsolelyforthebenefitofherlarvae。Thesuspiciondeservedtobeconfirmedbyexperiment。Also，Iwasengagedinanotherinvestigation，whichmighteasilybeconductedsimultaneouslywiththeonesuggested:I
wantedtostudy，withalltheleisureofworkdoneathome，theoperating-
methodsemployedbythedifferentHuntingWasps。Ithereforemadeuse，forthePhilanthus，oftheprocessofexperimentingunderglasswhichIroughlyoutlinedwhenspeakingoftheOdynerus。ItwaseventheBee-huntresswhogavememyfirstdatainthisdirection。SherespondedtomywisheswithsuchzealthatIbelievedmyselftopossessanunequalledmeansofobservingagainandagain，eventoexcess，whatissodifficulttoachieveontheactualspot。Alas，thefirst-fruitsofmyacquaintancewiththePhilanthuspromisedmemorethanthefutureheldinstoreforme！Butwewillnotanticipate；andwewillplacethehuntressandhergametogetherunderthebell-glass。IrecommendthisexperimenttowhoeverwouldwishtoseewithwhatperfectionintheartofattackanddefenceaHuntingWaspwieldsthestiletto。Thereisnouncertaintyhereastotheresult，thereisnolongwait:themomentwhenshecatchessightofthepreyinanattitudefavourabletoherdesigns，thebanditrushesforwardandkills。I
willdescribehowthingshappen。
Iplaceunderthebell-glassaPhilanthusandtwoorthreeHive-bees。Theprisonersclimbtheglasswall，towardsthelight；theygoup，comedownagainandtrytogetout；theverticalpolishedsurfaceistothemapracticablefloor。Theysoonquietdown；andthespoilerbeginstonoticehersurroundings。Theantennaearepointedforwards，enquiringly；thehind-
legsaredrawnupwithalittlequiverofgreedinthetarsi；theheadturnstorightandleftandfollowstheevolutionsoftheBeesagainsttheglass。Themiscreant\'sposturenowbecomesastrikingpieceofacting:youcanreadinitthefiercelongingsofthecreaturelyinginambush，thecraftywaitingforthemomenttocommitthecrime。Thechoiceismade:thePhilanthuspouncesonherprey。
Turnbyturntumblingoverandtumbled，thetwoinsectsrollupontheground。Thetumultsoonabates；andthemurderesspreparestostranglehercapture。Iseeheradopttwomethods。Inthefirst，whichismoreusualthantheother，theBeeislyingonherback；andthePhilanthus，bellytobellywithher，gripsherwithhersixlegswhilesnappingatherneckwithhermandibles。Theabdomenisnowcurvedforwardfrombehind，alongtheprostratevictim，feelswithitstip，gropesaboutalittleandendsbyreachingtheunderpartoftheneck。Thestingenters，lingersforamomentinthewound；andallisover。Withoutreleasingherprey，whichisstilltightlyclasped，themurderessrestoresherabdomentoitsnormalpositionandkeepsitpressedagainsttheBee\'s。
Inthesecondmethod，thePhilanthusoperatesstanding。Restingonherhind-legsandonthetipsofherunfurledwings，sheproudlyoccupiesanerectattitude，withtheBeeheldfacingherbetweenherfourfrontlegs。
Togivethepoorthingapositionsuitedtoreceivethedagger-stroke，sheturnsherroundandbackagainwiththeroughclumsinessofachildhandlingitsdoll。Herposeismagnificenttolookat。Solidlyplantedonhersustainingtripod，thetwohindertarsiandthetipsofthewings，sheatlastcrooksherabdomenupwardsandagainstingstheBeeunderthechin。
TheoriginalityofthePhilanthus\'postureatthemomentofthemurdersurpassestheanythingthatIhavehithertoseen。
Thedesireforknowledgeinnaturalhistoryhasitscruelside。Tolearnpreciselythepointattackedbythestingandtomakemyselfthoroughlyacquaintedwiththehorribletalentofthemurderess，IhaveinvestigatedmoreassassinationsunderglassthanIwoulddaretoconfess。Withoutasingleexception，IhavealwaysseentheBeestunginthethroat。Inthepreparationsforthefinalblow，thetipoftheabdomenmaywellcometorestonthisorthatpointofthethoraxorabdomen；butitdoesnotstopatanyofthese，noristhestingunsheathed，ascanreadilybeascertained。Indeed，oncethecontestisopened，thePhilanthusbecomessoentirelyabsorbedinheroperationthatIcanremovethecoverandfolloweveryvicissitudeofthetragedywithmypocket-lens。
Afterrecognizingtheinvariablepositionofthewound，Ibendbackandopenthearticulationofthehead。IseeundertheBee\'schinawhitespot，measuringhardlyatwenty-fifthofaninchsquare，wherethehornyintegumentsarelackingandthedelicateskinisshownuncovered。Itishere，alwayshere，inthistinydefectinthearmour，thatthestingenters。Whyisthisspotstabbedratherthananother？Canitbetheonlyvulnerablepoint，whichwouldnecessarilydeterminethethrustofthelancet？Shouldanyoneentertainsopettyathought，Iadvisehimtoopenthearticulationofthecorselet，behindthefirstpairoflegs。HewillthereseewhatIsee:thebareskin，quiteasfineasundertheneck，butcoveringamuchlargersurface。Thehornybreast-plateoffersnowiderbreach。IfthePhilanthuswereguidedinheroperationsolelybythequestionofvulnerability，itisherecertainlythatsheoughttostrike，insteadofpersistentlyseekingthenarrowslitintheneck。Theweaponwouldnotneedtohesitateandgrope；itwouldobtainadmissionintothetissuesoff-hand。No，thestrokeofthelancetisnotforceduponitmechanically:theassassinscornsthelargedefectinthecorseletandpreferstheplaceunderthechin，foreminentlylogicalreasonswhichwewillnowattempttounravel。
ImmediatelyaftertheoperationItaketheBeefromthePhilanthus。Whatstrikesmeisthesuddeninertiaoftheantennaeandthemouth-parts，organswhichinthevictimsofmostoftheHuntingWaspscontinuetomoveforsolongatime。ThereareherenotanyofthesignsoflifetowhichI
havebeenaccustomedinmyoldstudiesofinsectparalysis:theantennarythreadswavingslowlytoandfro，thepalpiquivering，themandiblesopeningandclosingfordays，weeksandmonthsonend。Atmost，thetarsitrembleforaminuteortwo；thatconstitutesthewholedeath-struggle。
Completeimmobilityensues。Theinferencedrawnfromthissuddeninertiaisinevitable:theWasphasstabbedthecervicalganglia。Hencetheimmediatecessationofmovementinalltheorgansofthehead；hencetherealinsteadoftheapparentdeathoftheBee。ThePhilanthusisabutcherandnotaparalyser。
Thisisonestepgained。Themurderesschoosestheunderpartofthechinasthepointattackedinordertostriketheprincipalnerve-centres，thecephalicganglia，andthustodoawaywithlifeatoneblow。Whenthisvitalseatispoisonedbythetoxin，deathisinstantaneous。HadthePhilanthus\'objectbeensimplytoeffectparalysis，thesuppressionoflocomotormovements，shewouldhavedrivenherweaponintotheflawinthecorselet，astheCerceresdowiththeWeevils，whoaremuchmorepowerfullyarmouredthantheBee。Butherintentionistokilloutright，asweshallseepresently；shewantsacorpse，notaparalyticpatient。Thisbeingso，wemustagreethatheroperating-methodissupremelywell-inspired:ourhumanmurdererscouldachievenothingmorethoroughorimmediate。
Wemustalsoagreethatherattitudewhenattacking，anattitudeverydifferentfromthatoftheparalysers，isinfallibleinitsdeath-dealingefficacy。Whethershedeliverherthrustlyingonthegroundorstandingerect，sheholdstheBeeinfrontofher，breasttobreast，headtohead。
Inthispostureallthatsheneeddoistocurveherabdomeninordertoreachthegapintheneckandplungethestingwithanupwardslantintohercaptive\'shead。Supposethetwoinsectstobegrippingeachotherinthereverseattitude，imaginethedirktoslantslightlyintheoppositedirection；theresultswouldbeabsolutelydifferentandthesting，drivendownwards，wouldpiercethefirstthoracicganglionandproducemerelypartialparalysis。Whatskill，tosacrificeawretchedBee！Inwhatfencing-schoolwastheslayertaughtherterribleupwardblowunderthechin？
Ifshelearntit，howisitthathervictim，suchapastmistressinarchitecture，suchanadeptinsocialisticpolity，hassofarlearntnocorrespondingtricktoserveinherowndefence？Sheisaspowerfulasherexecutioner；liketheother，shecarriesarapier，anevenmoreformidableoneandmorepainful，atleasttomyfingers。ForcenturiesandcenturiesthePhilanthushasbeenstoringherawayinhercellars；andthepoorinnocentmeeklysubmits，withoutbeingtaughtbytheannualexterminationofherracehowtodeliverherselffromtheaggressorbyawell-aimedthrust。Idespairofeverunderstandinghowtheassailanthasacquiredhertalentforinflictingsuddendeath，whentheassailed，whoisbetter-armedandquiteasstrong，wieldsherdaggeranyhowandthereforeineffectively。
