THE HABITS OF EUMENES BELFRAGEI, CRESS 



355 



Wasp No. II appeared on the scene soon after No. I was 

 discovered. The former at first followed no definite course, 

 but flew about from place to place, examining stems of grass 

 and other objects, apparently looking for a suitable situation 

 for the nest. Soon it seemed satisfied with a grass stem in the 

 center of a clump of grass several feet back from the edge of 

 the veranda. 



That the reconnaisance was now over was apparent from the 

 wasp's change of manner. It flew about over the clay soil, 

 stopping at many different clods. No suitable material seemed 

 to be found near at hand, for it flew off to the garden (direc- 

 tion of arrow C, Fig. i) and remained away several minutes. 

 It then returned with a pellet of wet clay, 3 mm. in diameter, 

 carried with the mandibles. The wasp made its way to the 

 blade of grass last examined and applied the first load of mud 

 in and about the axil of the grass blade. Thus this artist of 

 nature began its two hours' task. Twenty-six loads were re- 

 quired to complete the nest. The following table gives the 

 time of return with each load and the number of minutes the 

 wasp was absent .each time : 



* Returned to lay the egg on this visit. 



Eumenes differs from the common Pelopaeus in the manner 

 of securing her building material. The latter uses the mud 

 already present in water-soaked soil and merely rolls up a ball 

 with the mandibles and fore-feet. Eumenes selects a hard 

 place, often a well trodden path, and secures the mud by first 

 softening it with water from its crop. The writer has also 

 observed this habit to obtain with Odynerus, with Agenia, and 

 with the mining bee Emphor. 



