136 THE NATURALIST IX NICARAGUA. [Ch. VIII. 



it into a ball, and prepared to carry it off. Being at 

 the time -amidst a thick mass of a fine-leaved climbing 

 plant, it proceeded, before flying away, to take note of 

 the place where it was leaving the other half. To do 

 this, it hovered in front of it for a few seconds, then took 

 small circles in front of it, then larger ones round the 

 whole plant. I thought it had gone, but it returned 

 again, and had another look at the opening in the dense 

 foliage down which the other half of the caterpillar lay. 

 It then flew away, but must have left its burden for dis- 

 tribution with its comrades at the nest, for it returned in 

 less than two minutes, and making one circle around the 

 bush, descended to the opening, alighted 011 a leaf, and 

 ran inside. The green remnant of the caterpillar was 

 lying on another leaf inside, but not connected with the 

 one on which the wasp alighted, so that in running in it 

 missed it, and soon got hopelessly lost in the thick 

 foliage. Coming out again, it took another circle, and 

 pounced down on the same spot again, as soon as it came 

 opposite to it. Three small seed-pods, which here grew 

 close together, formed the marks that I had myself 

 taken to note the place, and these the wasp seemed also 

 to have taken as its guide, for it flew directly down to 

 them, and ran inside ; but the small leaf on which the 

 fragment of caterpillar lay, not being directly connected 

 with any on the outside, it again missed it, and again 

 got far away from the object of its search. It then flew 

 out again, and the same process was repeated again and 

 again. Always when in circling round it came in sight 

 of the seed-pods down it pounced, alighted near them, 

 and recommenced its quest on foot. I was surprised at 

 its perseverance, and thought it would have given up the 



