WASPS, SOCIAL AND SOLITARY 



another place. Not finding the entrance, she rose and 

 flew close under one of the plants and began to scratch 

 again, but still in vain. For ten minutes she persisted, 

 keeping within a few inches of the spot, and holding on 

 to the ant all the time, although it was dreadfully in her 

 way as she walked about. Then she dropped it and began 

 to dig more vigorously, dividing her attention between 

 the two spots she had attempted at first. She seemed 

 troubled at having to leave the ant, and often picked it 

 up and tried to hold it while she worked. Once in a 

 while she would take it with her, and after circling 

 about the spot would disappear, but in a few minutes 

 she would return. It seemed to us that two little plants 

 growing near together must have been her landmarks, 

 and that probably she had been deceived by the like- 

 ness that those before us bore to the ones near her nest. 

 Again and again she seemed to hesitate and think the 

 matter over, but gradually one of the holes absorbed 

 her more and more. At the end of an hour she was out 

 of sight in it, and had carried her ant down, although 

 she was still kicking out sand. It was evident that her 

 memory had played her false, and that she had either 

 covered her hole so neatly that she could not find the 

 spot herself, or had missed the place entirely. She had 

 accommodated herself to circumstances pretty well, 



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