The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-21

rer, to spare and, unlike cert ,ia beings
Of higher degree, none 10 Z" kill"
The truth is in accordance with what
may seem TO Us as cru-l fate, they
themselves are killing and being killed
quite too fast 10 have much else to pei
form. Here before me mid the beauties
Of world bathed In sunlight the decree
was being terribly enforced. Execution
eTs OF every variety were al work, from
the swift and voracious dragon fly in the
piiins below 10 the believing night
hawk on bis tireless hunt in the heavens
above The game was abundant. Over
meadow and hsystsck could tie seen
colonies Of countless insects s1srming
in the sunlight, and rising In gosssmer
clouds TO meet the fsihl swoop of birds
l'of prey Ca the earth below. the creep.
ing hosts that struggled on their devious
ways through The grassy wilderness, or
Inhabited the fipwery jungles were alike
hurrying TO their fstes-to death or TO
be-, as chance might decide. Even in
the latter they will not be safe
When night shall come prowl
ing monsters, no~ hid In their syl-
van retreats, emerging from their lars,
shall 90 forth in search OF their food. de
stroying and devouring, and so filing
the shadowy hours with cries Of anguish
from their unhappy victims. IL is mis-
take TO suppose that the songs Of twl-
light ana the cheerful chorus OF the null
titudinous insect world which greet our
ears when stars are in the quiet sks'
give evidence Of the joys OF earth, sky
anu water in what we hear. Although
the tender signal Of the smorous lover
10 mis- listening mate il there, ming led
with its soflest notes are the cries OF
pain and death. Insects, like the rest OF
the animal creation, must live. and so
feed upon one another Beautiful ~
was the scene before me, turned 10
other thoughts as toiled up the hard
beaten path over the hills Looking
along the ground | observed a
number Of small clean-cut circular
holes, less than q half inch In
diameter, perforating the earth at
short intervals Ny attention had often
been attracted to these, aud had never
been able TO find out what creature could
have bored these miniature wells. Was II
done by beetle or spid,ry All tn Sc are
capable of just such work. had also no
liced that they were invariably found iB
the hardest and dryest earth, and there
| fore the most difficult u penetrate
They are also most numerous on the
south or sunny side OF the hill While
walking on, revolving this subject in my
mind, my attention was suddenly at
! tractcd 20 the movements OF a bright
loo ing insect on the ground directly In
my path So Iusly occupied was The
creature that, although near being
crushed under my tread, II was not at all
disturbed. This Of course increased my
interest. sni stepping back short dis
lance. ] resolved 10 watch its movements
more closely. The stranger proved 20 be
beautiful specimen Of the solitary wasp,
belonging 20 a numerous family Of this
name, and % the order called by the
learned "Hymenoptera." Because ii is
here called wasp" the reader must not
confound this insect with the common
, red variety which constructs iis pendant
home under the caves OF houses, much
20 the annoyance OF the occupants ana
which so often gets into cou5try churche 5
diving the week 60 disturb the ser
vices on Sunday by crawling on
the dresses OF nervous females or
on The coat collar OF the unconscious
parsOn. The creature ! met with on
the occasion referred to was far more
attractive insect, and is a. harmless As
she is beautiful II was a female. about
one inch in length and gorgeously at.
tired in downY coat Of dark olive,
striped with bands of golden yellow. She
was graceful 10 the extreme, and had a
waist delicate and tapering, Zine by de
grees and beautifully less as was that of
The nut brown maid herself
A she now appeared busily fulfilling
the Offices Of a devoted mother, her shos y
wings glisiened in the evening light
while her purple body yibrated with the
efforts necessary to the accomplishment
OF her task What this was will be told
| hereafter.
To b. continually