THE SPIDER RAVISHERS. 155 



things assumed their old status when a second enemy, a much 

 larger and bolder Ceropak'S, threw both the PompUus and our- 

 selves into consternation. Again we took the side of our wasp 

 and drove the other one off, but only to see it return a few 

 jnoments later. The PompUus now flew at it in a most gallant 

 fashion and pursued it far afield, but when she came back the 

 enemy was but a few seconds behind her. Here we again in- 

 terposed and removed the second Cet^opales from the field of 

 action. 



All cause for anxiety being over the wasp now resumed her 

 journey. Before long she came to a shallow depression in the 

 ground which was partly sheltered by an overhanging limip of 

 earth, and under this covering she dropped the spider and again 

 began to squeeze its legs. After a moment she removed it to 

 the other side of the depression, where it was subjected to fur- 

 ther manipulation. jSText, her toilet was attended to, and then 

 the spider was carried back and placed again under the lump of 

 earth. At least ten times was that limp and helpless creature 

 dragged from one side to the other of the little depression, a 

 ■distance of about two inches, the time betw^^een being filled in by 

 the wasp with cleaning herself and squeezing the legs of her vic- 

 tim. After forty minutes of this tedious delay the moment came 

 when she picked up her burden with renewed determination 

 and stai'ted rapidly on her w^ay. We kept very close to her 

 but she did not allow our presence to intennipt her work, and, 

 indeed, paid no attention to it. After she had gone along for 

 s, distance of about eight feet there was another pause, of only 

 five minutes this time, and when she resumed her onward march 

 it was in a new direction. Thus far she had gone almost due 

 south but now she turned and went six feet toward the west. 

 Suddenly the spider was dropped. There was no hole in sight 

 but the wasp seemed to feel that some important crisis had ar- 

 rived. Her whole manner was excited and flurried and we 

 thought that surely we had reached the neighborhood of the 

 nest. How little we understood her! Her nest was still far 

 away, and it may be that she had just begiin to realize that the 



