The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-28

these exciting encounters. When OF on
the wing in pursuit OF prey these insects
so pugnacious in defense Of their
homes, become d0c;ie and harm
less If not interfercd with.
They may be frequently seen on
such occasions about farm houses. DAFT.
ing boldly into The open windows, crawl.
ing peacefully over the table,, hunlminr
away In the porches. or lowering ius,
where the horse-Ay delights TO lilger as
he fsiiens upon the remains Of he last
family repast. The latter Is there bask.
ling IN the sunlight, washing bis face
and cleansing his person with bis
from, and hind legs and, a. nsturalis..
say, by this process purifying the aimos.
phtre by taking into his proboscis the
noxious atoms of floating matter already
collected on his p rson while circlIng on
the wing While the fly is thus disport
ing himself, our peaceful looking hornet
quicker than the hawk upon his prev
swOops down and bears him OFF At the
instant the luckless victim is thus seized.
the hornet manages 70 clip of both his
wings at once The operation is done SO
quickly that have in vain endeayored 10
discover how the feat Is accomplished
My attention was drawn TO this circum-
stance by accidentally observing mum.
Der Of amputsted flies wings lying
scattered over table-clotb, after visit
from hornets. in whose clutches / had
seen the bodies Of their late owners.
am not aware that other varieties OF this
order practice the like surgery on their
capiiyes. In as much as the hornet does
not sting the fly, he finds II safer 10 clip
of his wings so as TO deprive him ~ once
of any chance OF escape by flight
As 10 The manner Of insects securing
their prey, it may be proper to describe
here habit peculiar TO this, and other
varieties probably not known 70 the read
err Wasps, mosquitoes and flies almost
always leap slightly backward when tax
ing flight Especially is this the case
when surprised and endesyOring TO es-
cape danger In resorting 20 this ma
neuyre they appear 20 think Il a smart
way OF eluding the spring or swoop of
their pursuers. Unfortunately for them.
the instinct Of the latter Is "up 20 that
dodge" and teaches them TO manage SC
cOrdingly. Hence il the reader will oh
serve the movements OF the predaceous
or hunting spider, so often seen crawl
ing and crouching like lion ia minia-
ture on the sunny side OF wall or win
dow-sill upon some unwary fly, he Will
invariably find the spider making his an
proach, slowly and cautiously, from the
rear Al first glance, We might suppose
him TO be resoriing to this strategy go
ayoii the observation OF The game Not
at all. Nothing escapes the ever-yigilsnt
ily Her prominent, msny-sdcd eye, with
its seven thousand faces, not only oh
serves the grim form Of her enemy, but
sees everything else above, around and
below her But unfortunately she trusts
too much to her chan res OF escspe By the
maneuyre referred 60 above and feeling
assured she has safely calculated The dis
lance between herself and her willy
foe. she fingers until /. is too
late. The result OF this delay
is that when she attempts escape by tax
ing to flight, she springs backward just
far enough and In time 20 be caught on
the wing in the fangs Of the spider The
observer, if he looks closely. will per
ceiye that the unhappy victim is inyari
ably seized by the middle and under part
of the body. Had the spider thought 10
best to secure his prey by alighting upon
the back of the fly, the rapid movements
Of her wings and lhe denser texture Of
that part Of her body might have pro
tected her from destruction
We may sympathize with the victim in
her terrible tate and depIecate her seem
ing folly. But il should not De forgotten
that If The fly always succeeded in oct
whiting the spider, starvation would be
me consequence st the home of the lat
ter. We should also rec0lleCt
THAT every creature
ives in "A state Dl MAT by nature.
So natumnsts observe q h.H
Has smaller fieas that Ol BIN prey
And tht 81 have smaller stili so bite en-.
And so proceed ad lninitum.
TO be c0Htinutd)