THE BURROWERS 



Our wasps had not far to go for their victims. Forty 

 feet away, on the eastern side of the island, was a steep 

 declivity, and here, in the soft crumbly soil, was a great 

 Halictus settlement. No prettier sight can be imagined 

 than is presented by this colony on every sunny summer 

 day. The whole bank is riddled with nests, and at the 

 entrance of each stands a female bee, her tiny head ex- 

 actly filling the opening. The bees are constantly arriv- 

 ing, laden with pollen, whereupon the sentinels politely 

 back inward to make way for them. Into this scene of 

 contented industry descends the ravaging Philanthus, 

 taking guards and workers alike. 



On the afternoon of the fourteenth of August our two 

 wasps were in the full tide of affairs. No. i took in eleven 

 bees within two hours, but her record was somewhat 

 confused, as two other females were going in and out at 

 the same time. We felt sure that neither of these was 

 hunting, but one of them shared in the labor of the nest 

 by helping with the work of excavation. 



No. 2, however, was alone, so that we could keep a 

 definite account of her comings and goings. We watched 

 her from half past one until five, at which hour she 

 came home without a load, and at once closed the nest 

 for the night, after having stored thirteen bees in three 

 hours and nine minutes. In some cases the capture of 



159 



