WASPS, SOCIAL AND SOLITARY 



recognize it. At last we laid the leaf back in its place 

 over the opening, when she at once went in and resumed 

 her work, keeping at it steadily for ten minutes longer. 

 At this point she suddenly reversed her operations and 

 began to fill the hole that she had made, kicking in the 



i 



earth until the entrance was hidden. She then glanced 

 at the spider, selected a new place, and began to dig 

 again. Surprisingly large pellets of earth were carried 

 out, backward, and loose dirt was kicked under the 

 body by the first legs. At the end of two or three min- 

 utes she paused and remained perfectly still for a time, 

 considering the situation. Her conclusion was adverse 

 to the locality, for she soon filled in the hole, looked once 

 more at the spider, and started a third nest in a new 

 place. This in turn was soon abandoned, as was also a 

 fourth. The fifth beginning was made under a leaf that 

 lay close to the ground, so that we could not see her at 

 all. Fasciatus ! had we had the naming of her she 

 should have gone down the ages as exasperans ! We had 

 now watched her for an hour in the intense heat ; the 

 bell for the noonday meal had sounded, hunger and 

 thirst had descended upon us, and most devoutly did 

 we hope that she was suited at last, but no - - after 

 twenty minutes' work this place also was abandoned, 

 and a sixth nest started. This, however, was the final 



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