AMMOPHILA AND HER CATERPILLARS 



In five minutes the wasp returned, and, with the air of 

 feeling that everything was right, picked up her burden 

 and carried it laboriously through the remaining bushes 

 and then through the grassy space that edged the garden, 

 as far as the rail fence which separated this part of the 

 grounds from the woods. Without a pause she climbed 

 on to this fence to the height of the second rail, passed 

 through, and flew down on the further side. Here she 

 paused a moment, perhaps to take breath, and we 

 looked at each other in some dismay. Whither was she 

 leading us ? We had now been following her for over an 

 hour, and she looked equal to as much again as she 

 started off once more, rapidly this time, for the grass was 

 short here and the traveling was easy. Soon, however, it 

 became evident that things were going wrong, although 

 we could not determine what was the matter. The cater- 

 pillar was laid down while the wasp absented herself for 

 six minutes. She returned and carried it for fifteen min- 

 utes, and then left it for half an hour. Once more she 

 came back, and carried it for ten minutes, and then she 

 flew away. It was now four o'clock, and we had been 

 following her since two. We watched over the caterpillar 

 for an hour longer, but saw no more of the wasp. 



Did she become discouraged at the magnitude of her 

 task? It would have been a thousand times easier for 



45 



