1S(>2.] i:!0 



becoiuct^ paralyzed, thouu'li tlie iiiflictidii ol'a second and even a third wound 

 is sometimes necessary. Sooner or later the sjjider becomes powerless, when 

 the victor approaches carefully I'eeliug its way to see if its work has been 

 effectually performed. It then. begins to drag the Tarantula into a hole 

 which it has previously dug in the ground where, after the desposition of its 

 eggs by the Pomj)i7us, the sjtider is covered u]» and allowed to remain. 



By some wonderful provision the s])iders are ]»reserved fresh to afford 

 food for the young of the Poiiijh'/ks. The sanu^ jioison which kills the 

 spider appears to prevent it from decaying. 



I ouce met a Pomjjilii^i who had just killed a large Jlj/i/o/c This was 

 in Central Texas, in mid-summer when the rain had not fallen for a long- 

 time and the prairie-soil was filled with numerous sun-cracks. The weight 

 of the spider was, at least, three times that of the wasp, yet the wasp run- 

 ning backwards, dragged it along through the dry grass which offered con- 

 siderable resistance, overcoming every obstacle by earnest perseverance. 

 The route was rendered still more difficult by the cracks in the soil, 

 down which both occasionally tumbled, and several times I thought the 

 Tarantula was lost at the bottom of a crack, but both would soon again 

 emerge. I had never seen such an exhibition of strength and persever- 

 ance even among ants. I watched for half an hour, much interested, the 

 energetic wasp dragging the spider through cracks and over fallen weeds, 

 and through fences, and I following determined to see the result, although 

 it was near sunset and I was distant from our encampment. After going 

 a short distance, the wasp and spider fell into a large crack. 1 was then 

 sure that the Mi/(jale had been lost. After a little 1 bent down to see 

 what had become of them, and was much surprised at seeing the wasp 

 dragging the spider from the crack. At siich an exhibition of sti'ength 

 I inadvertantly exclaimed aloud, "You are a stout fellow I" This ex- 

 clamation caused the wasp to drop the spider and gaze a moujcnt. having 

 noticed me then, for the first time, it then flew three or four times around 

 the spider, as if to mark its locality, and then went away. Sorry for 

 its departure I took the spider to our tent and ])reserved it in alcohol. It 

 is now in the Geological Rooms at Austin in Texas. 



Mrs. Halsey of Chappell Mill, Washington Co. Texas, showed me a licile 

 in the ground into which a PuinpHiis had been seen to take a Mjj</((l( . 

 The hole had been excavated by the wasp ; it was altogether twelve incli- 

 es long, descending at an angle of about forty five degrees to the extent of 

 eight inches, afterwards horizontally for four inches, and at the end of 

 the horizontal portion the spider was l)uried. 



