Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-12-29

''There is nothing new under the
sum-" wrote the wise man; but who
would have thought that the secret Of
preserving fresh meat. which we are
all now anxiously trying to find out.
was known and practiced ages ago by
the wasp family. and that in way
much more clever than we can ever
hope to attainp
Is it not strange in itself that the
solitary wasps. that is. the species in
which each one builds its own nest,
though they feed entirely on honey
themselves, know that the young grubs
which will come from their eggs need
animal food? For after flying about
among the flowers ever since they left
their cocoons, these sand-wasps. toward
the end Of July, begin to burrow in the
soft sand. and when they have formed
chamber they lay an egg in it and
provide flies. spiders, grasshoppers or
beetles for the young larva which is
soon to be born.
Some bring the food in piece by piece
as their child is ready to feed upon it.
The Bembex, or bee-wasp, may be seen
loing this in most parts OF the world.
When she has scooped out in the
sand the chamber in which her young
grub is to be born and pass its youth
"a smooth, oval cell. at the end Of 9
short passage-she comes out and file.
away.
But she soon returns with a little
golden-green fly in her grasp, file.
str light to the right spot in the sand
enters. and, placing the fly on its bach
within the oval chamber, she lays up
on its flank tiny, sticky egg.
Then she comes out and again close'
the door of the passage. for she knows
that in twenty-four hours the gruf
will be Matched. and, finding its foot
ready to eat, will devour and devour
till, in about two days, nothing will b,
left Of its victim but the debris OF ski
and legs and wings.
Here We have NO preserving Of meat
We must 60 to another group to fint
the skillful meat-preservers. Her
the Sphex will serve US, that curious
genus so easily known from common
wasps by the thin stalk which join
the abdomen to the rest Of its body
J There are large and small sphexes
some OF which feed their grubs OF
small grasshoppers, while others al
tack even . good-sized locust; but on
and all they arc skillfull practitioners
and know how to paralyze withou
killing. 80 a. to leave their prey store
up in fresh state till the grub need
| it.
! This time We must not 60 to loos
sand-banks. but 70 . gravelly soil. Q
,, to places whore tufts Of grass bind tn
| sand together and make . shelter owe
the doorway Of the cells. Then, II W
listen carefully. We may hear the bus
hum Of some twelve or twenty Sphe
J sand-wasps, each digging out he
3 separate homo, although they wor
: together for company.
( II is harder work than that Of tn
Bembex. for tho ground Is close an
: firm, but each ono with her POVERTY
J. jaws digs into the ground, often liftin
( out even . small stone and placing
). aside. while. with her forefeet, sh
: clears in front, throwing out the grav
!, with her hind-legs, and redoubling h,
= efforts and her humming song, whe1
= ever q tougher piece Of ground cal
d for all her strength.
: In q few hours she has made q ga
8 lery some inches in length and bel
9 like an elbow near the opening to kee
Q out wind and rain, while at the farth,
end she has made an oval chamb'
J. with " ll-smoothed walls and floor al
q ceiling.
g And now she goes for her prey. Tn
r time 1t is q grasshopper which is nee
n ed for the grub. and, a. some unwar
u little chirper il singing his song. he
I, pounced upon by his small but terrib
d enemy.
o There is . struggle as the two RI
l. over and over, now one now the 9th
9 on the top. but 1t last the wasp co
= = quers and the grasshopper lies up'
v his back.
. Then follows curious operatio
N Turning her head to the grasshoppe'
le tail the wasp seizes the end OF his a
y domen with her mandibles and hol
= it fast, while with her feet she kee
v his legs down. Then bending her sli
D. waist 90 as to bring her sting und
her she gives three stabs. one In t
neck OF her victim, one further ba
between the first and second pair
legs and the third still nearer TO
T. ,bdomen.
= In moment it is done and the gra'
,opper resists no more, though
| cay still, - yes slowly and his Il