The Life of an Insect: being a history of the changes of insects from the egg to the perfect being.
Science
The Life of an Insect: being a history of the changes of insects from the egg to the perfect being.
Insects
The wretched kakerlac, after a few brief convulsions, lies paralysed
on the ground unable to stir a step from the spot where it encountered
its terrible adversary. Fully aware of this, the victorious wasp,
after taking a few turns, as if to proclaim the downfall of the Giant
Kakerlac to the surrounding neighbourhood, returns to the scene where
the conflict was fought. The kakerlac, unable to resist the victor,
and being naturally, though a great devourer, a very faint-hearted
creature, lies immovable while the wasp seizes the prostrate foe by the
head, and in a sort of triumphal march drags it along the road to its
nest. But though the kakerlac was not a difficult enemy to overcome,
the weight and size of its body are a sore burden to the victor wasp.
The way to the nest is long, tedious, and rugged. After a hard pull
over all sorts of obstacles the wasp becomes completely breathless,
and is obliged to let go, and for a rest it generally rises into the
air, probably with a view of reconnoitring future difficulties, and
of ascertaining the best route to pursue. Thus, after alternately
dragging along the body of its victim and rising up to spy out the
path, at length the conqueror succeeds in bringing the carcase home.
Here, however, arises another difficulty. To attempt to get the body
of the huge kakerlac in, is just as if one were to attempt to get an
elephant through a small street-door. What is to be done? The wasp
enters the hole backwards, and, seizing the head of the kakerlac,
endeavours with all its might to drag it in, but all in vain. Many
times it repeats these efforts with the same want of success; and now
it appears that its labours in bringing hither the corpse, and its
dangers in the battle, were all for nought, for the great body cannot
be put in the place the wasp had designed for it. As if exasperated
with the difficulties, out comes the wasp in fury, and falling upon
the body of the kakerlac, hews off the large wing-cases, together with
several of the limbs, and goes back into the hole again to repeat the
attempt to get it in. Success at length crowns its efforts; by little
and little the body becomes lost to sight, and finally disappears
altogether from view, being carried down to the very bottom of the
nest. Here the larva, as soon as hatched, feeds upon it, thrives, and
grows, and falls asleep, awaiting the time when itself shall awake to
follow in the steps of the glittering and formidable warrior who, with
the boldness of an amazon and affection of the tenderest of mothers,
supplied it with nourishment during its hours of infancy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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