14 Trans. Acad, of St. Loui.'^ 



My opinion of the wasp's listlossnoss was at once 

 cliani^od wlu-n one discovered a sjtider. This s])ider was 

 on her hiri>:o, sj)roadin.u: weh at the hase of the smoke- 

 lionso wall. I was attracted by tlie aniazinjr ra])idity 

 with which the wasp traveled over this web without ])e- 

 coniin^ ensnarcil. l)y a line trick, like a hare before the 

 hounds, the spider suddenly ceased tiie race and stood 

 stock still in the center of the web, while the wasp in full 

 pursuit daslied ri^ht past her and did not discover the 

 error, it seemed, until she had reached the ed^e of the 

 web. Then she betrayed her agitation, by (piiverinii: 

 wiuiTs and antennae, but for some time appeared either 

 rather stupid or near-si<i:hted in ap:ain locating? her 

 (piarry. The spider, meanwhile, remained motionless 

 until it was a^ain discovered, whereupon it dodji:ed for 

 a time, then leaped to the wall and escaped. Two days 

 later the burrows had not been closed; they were duir up, 

 and all were like the first. 



A little later in the season, in early Septembei-. tliis 

 species was frequently seen alonij: the roadside on the 

 hills near Wickcs; they were evidently fora.?in,ur or feed- 

 ing. One was even seen so late as October 19, feeding on 

 the last smart-weed blossoms. 



On August 14, at Manchester, Mo., we were attracted 

 by a commotion at the foot of a sunny clay bank. A wasp 

 was in a hole, with her face flush with the surface, and 

 four others were in a fussy wrangle over it. Our first 

 thoughts were that the ones on top were hel])ing anotluM* 

 in distress, since their manner did not denote anger or 

 enmily. After five minutes more of this turmoil, the one 

 below emerged; and then did the excitement break into 

 l)erfect furore among them. The new one emerging was 

 a large, handsome female; the other four were males. 

 One of these took possession of her at once, while two 

 others clung to her and struggled to crowd him away. 

 The fourth, outwitted, walked away and was captured in 

 a vial. The mating lasted for about a minute, when the 



