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136
My Studio Neighbors
·
W. Hamilton Gibson
85
I
have
thus
described
a
few
of
the
more
prominent
guests
or
personages
present
at
the
feast.
But
I
have
reported
little
of
their
"goings
on."
Doubtless
there
were
appropriate
toasts
and
responses,
or
what
in
bug
etiquette
answered
to
this
seemingly
indispensable
human
fad,
while
as
to
that
other
festive
social
essential
of
after-dinner
speeches,
coupled
in
this
case
with
most
vigorous
discussion,
I
am
certain
the
air
was
blue
with
something
of
this
sort,
if
the
eloquent
pantomime
bore
any
significance.
Here,
for
instance,
is
one
isolated,
but
frequent,
episode.
A
peaceable
little
group
of
plain
bluebottle-flies,
with
but
a
single
thought,
are
all
sipping
at
the
same
drop
in
contentment.
A
brief
respite,
for
now
the
tips
of
a
pair
of
inquisitive
antennae
appear
from
the
under
edge
of
the
leaf
upon
which
they
are
sipping,
and
gingerly
explore
the
upper
surface.
They
are
quickly
followed
by
the
covetous
almond-eyed
gaze
of
a
brown
wasp,
that
now
steals
cautiously
around
to
the
upper
surface,
and
appears
wholly
engrossed
in
licking
the
leaf.
Nearer
and
nearer
he
sidles
up
to
the
group
of
flies,
and
now
with
deliberate
purpose
and
open
jaws
makes
a
dash
among
them.
But
they
are
too
quick
for
him,
and
are
away
in
a
glittering
blue
tangle,
which
finally
concentrates
itself
upon
a
neighboring
leaf,
where
the
eager
tippling
is
immediately
resumed.
The
wasp
now
holds
the
fort,
and
seems
in
no
mood
to
be
trifled
with.
With
head
and
fore
feet
upraised
and
open
jaws
he
seems
"spoiling
for
a
fight,"
and
ready
to
make
war
upon
the
first
comer.
But
no,
he
is
evidently
expecting
a
friend
that,
I
now
observe,
approaches
him
determinedly
down
the
stem
of
the
leaf.
The
new-comer,
a
brown
wasp
like
himself,
is
now
at
close
range,
and
in
an
instant
more,
without
any
visible
courteous
preliminaries,
the
two
set
upon
each
other
with
a
common
enthusiasm,
and
with
jaws
working
and
stings
fencing
the
interlocked
combatants
fall
to
the
ground
for
a
finish.
I
presume
the
affair
was
carried
to
the
fourteenth
round
without
any
undue
interference.
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