Year: 1875

From the New Orleans Cooperative News


Not long since, while reading beneath
the shade of fig tree. our attention was
attracted by peculiar loud and shrilI
buzzing sound, as of some ore of the bee
family in distress. Looking in the di-
rection of the noise We observed quite
close to us dirfdauber, or builder, one
of the species of wasps so we'll known
for the cylindrical cases of mud it builds
under caves and on sheltered walls.
which it stufis full of certain worms
and spiders for its young. This wasp
had half of its body and head down the
hole of the equally well-known doodle
bug, 9 worm which children pull out OF
their holes by teasing them with a straw
until they grasp it with their strong nip
pers and hold on until they are thrown
out. 1t was evident at glance that the
wasp had gone down the hole of the
doodlebug, and that the doodlebug soon
had him in his strong grip at great dis
advantage and where the wings of this
wasp were of no advantage TO him ex-
cept to make noise which might alarm
his adversary. The contest lasted full
two minutes, when finally the dirtdaub-
er came out with jerk. He few but a
few inches from the hole, lit upon the
ground, rubbed his head, and fairly
danced with pain.


In few moments he recovered from
the effects of his wounds and began
making short circles over the hole, evil
IDENTIFY reconnoitering and laying his
plans. Presently, lighting at the mouth
of the hole, he tried the earth all about
the entrance with the skill of an engi-
neer, and selecting that which was
driest, he began to scratch like dog
with his fore feet, throwing the dust
rapidly backward into the hole. We
watched with intense interest. and could
not but admire his plnck and determin-
alton, for we imagine this throwing oi
dust on his adversary's head was only to
provoke him to fresh fight. Every
now and then he would stop and take a
cautious peep down the hole to observe
the effect Of his operations. We ex.
pected every moment to see him descend
and make another attack, but il soon be-
came manifest that such was not his
intention, and it gradually dawned upon
us that he had strategic mode of at
tack based upon the soundest principles
of philosophy, reason and thorough
knowledge of his adversary and of the
means he was using TO render his resis.
tance futile and make him an easy cap
tive.


By throwing fine dust into the hole
the doodlebng would soon be smothered,
as it was necessary that he should have
free air, unless he climbed upward, as
he would do. Whenever the worm
worked upward to get his head above
the fine dust fell behind and below him,
and thus slowly closed up his hole, un-
til, blinded with dust, he poked his head
out at the top. This was the point aim.
ed a., and the moment he showed his
head above, the wasp pounced upon him,
seized him by the neck, drew him up,
gathered him in his arms and few of
in triumph, though the worm was much
the larger of the two. Struck with
amazement at the sagacity, science, skill
and engineering ability of the dirtdaub-
er, we carefully sounded the hole, and
found that in the course of FIVE minutes
this reasoning insect had flleI in FIVE
inches of dust and put his formidable
adversary completely at his mercy.


The most skillfull engineers, Todle-
ben or Beauregard, could not have
thrown up earthworks with a profound
er calculation than this natural engi-
neer.