A swarm of yellow jackets (A type of hornet)
err.... yellow jackets don't have the ability to sting. They just bite the crap out of you, and it hurts because their chompers are damn sharp and their saliva has some kind of allergen in it (which would start the digestion process of dead meat from what I have read.) They're far from hornets, but if you're allergic to their bite, then just as deadly. Yellow jackets are often mistaken for bee stings, as yellow jackets are a lot more readily upset than bees :-)
ANyhow... Particle, your experience reminded me of this gopher which I tried to pick up in the middle of the night once. See, there was this hen who had a nest by the back porch, and eggs were due to hatch any day. (some already had hatched) Well, I saw this gopher in the dimly lit outside night time air which was a bit damp from the dew and was kind of flopping around much like a newly hatched baby chick. THinking that perhaps the chick had gotten out away from it's nest or was drug there by a predator, I quickly reached down to swipe it up.
At that point I realised my 4th finger was being chomped down on by this creature I beheld, so with a quick flick of the wrist it was sent sailing into the side of the house with a thud, tearing from my 4th finger as it was the only thing attaching it to my hand (I had let if go before I flicked my wrist.) It fell to the ground and scratched about in confusion before going under some steps. When I went inside my mom asked what that loud thud was and I told my tale, to which she started laughing as I must have told it well. No worries though as far as infection, I bles it out and covered it in anti-septic beta-dine before It had even been 30 seconds from the flinging, and then scrubbed it... which with my adrenalline running didn't even tickle. ;-)
That's the only thing I can think of being attacked by other than angry chickens, roosters, geese, sheep, and perhaps more farm and woodland animals... of course, they were all animals who were just plain assholes to begin with. :-) You always get at least 7 for every 100 you grow ;-)
