2 10 INSECT LIFE 



XV 



traced with a pencil the track made by her. The 

 result was a labyrinth of lines, with curves and sudden 

 angles, now returning inward and now branching 

 outward — knots and meshes and repeated inter- 

 sections — a maze, showing how perplexed and 

 astray was the insect. 



The shaft found and the stone lifted, she must 

 return to the prey, not without some uncertainty 

 when comings and goings have been too many. 

 Although it was left in a place obvious enough, 

 the Ammophila often seems at a loss when the time 

 comes to drag it home ; at least, if there be a very 

 long search for the burrow, one sees her suddenly 

 stop and go back to the caterpillar, feel it and give 

 it a little bite, as if to make sure that it is her very 

 own game and property, hurrying back to seek for 

 the burrow, but returning a second time if needful, 

 or even a third, to visit her prey. I incline to 

 believe that these repeated visits are made to refresh 

 her memory as to where she left it. 



This is what happens in very complex cases, but 

 generally the insect returns without difficulty to the 

 spot whither its vagrant life may have led it. For 

 guide it has that local memory whose marvellous 

 feats I shall later have occasion to relate. As for 

 me, in order to return next day to the burrow hidden 

 under the little flat stone, I dared not trust to my 

 memory, but had to use notes, sketches, to take my 

 bearings, and stick in pegs — in short, a whole 

 array of geometry. 



The temporary closing of the burrow with a flat 

 stone as practised by A. sabulosa and A. holosericea 

 appears unknown to the two other species ; at least I 



