AMMOPHILA 299 



Occasionally a piece of stone defies removal, and a pro- 

 longed and angry buzzing from beneath the surface 

 attests her efforts to dislodge it with her mandibles, but 

 presently she works it loose and comes up with it. 



At last all is ready, and she proceeds to cover the mouth 

 of the burrow before going off to seek the prey where- 

 with to fill it. Pieces of stone of small size are selected 

 and wedged together so as to block the entrance, and 

 with her back to it she scratches a little loose earth over 

 the stones and, after a final careful examination, flies 

 away. 



Now you may see her quartering the ground for the 

 caterpillar, grasshopper or other insect which she needs ; 

 wings flicking and antennae quivering, she runs about 

 eagerly searching until — pounce ! — she has found one 

 and stung it, and it lies helpless on the ground, with 

 limbs slightly twitching. 



Picking it up by her mandibles, unless it is too 

 large, she walks with it back to her hole, keeping a 

 marvellously straight course over all kinds of obstacles, 

 even climbing with it up perpendicular rock faces, until 

 after much effort she arrives at the site of the burrow. 

 This is quite indistinguishable from the surrounding soil, 

 but she knows it, for did she not herself take pains to 

 conceal it before she left it ? The precious burden is 

 put down, and the barricade that closes the burrow is 

 removed. Down she goes head first, and presumably, 

 after making sure that all is well, turns round in the 

 chamber at the bottom, for almost immediately her 

 head reappears and she seizes the prey and drags it down. 

 After a very brief interval, during which the egg is laid, 

 she reappears and at once sets to work to fill up the 

 burrow. Standing with her head away from the open 

 mouth, she vigorously scratches the loose earth back- 

 wards into it with sure aim. But to make a good job 

 of it something more is required, so she picks up pieces 



