A WASP POLICEMAN.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—The letter from Eastbourne of March 26th reminds me of an incident which interested us very much last summer. My house is close to a large wood, so that we are troubled by swarms of flies. I bad cut off a bough from an oak in the garden, and some time after remarked that the cut surface was wet with sap, which some half-dozen wasps were greedily devouring. The nearer boughs were covered with flies ; they made persistent attempts to obtain a share of the sap, but in vain, for they were constantly driven away by one of the wasps, which made no attempt itself to eat, but attended steadily to its policeman's duty. Every now and then all the wasps rushed to and fro, and we fancied that at these times the policeman was relieved. Though we could not be sure about this, there was no room for doubt as to the reality of the police duty, for none of the other wasps tried to drive the flies away. —I am, Sir. &c..
Weston-super-Mare, March 31st. R. S. CULI.EY.
Previous page
