WASPS. 179 



length, in her mandibles, and straddling it, com- 

 menced the return journey. The caterpillar was 

 quite limp, and had evidently been stung some time 

 previously, as no attempts were made by the wasp 

 to sting the caterpillar, which, beyond a slight 

 twitching, was apparently lifeless when taken off the 

 grass. The journey back to the burrow was ac- 

 complished without incident, and the caterpillar 

 dropped just at the edge of the entrance. The 

 wasp then descended the tunnel, probably to see 

 that nothing had interfered during her absence ; but 

 soon after reappeared with her head facing the 

 entrance, and seizing the caterpillar once more in 

 her mandibles, backs down the burrow, dragging 

 with her the lifeless body of the caterpillar. After 

 about ten seconds she reappeared and proceeded 

 at once to block up the tunnel entrance. At first 

 Avith the aid of the legs she throws down a quantity 

 of fine earth, ramming it down at intervals with the 

 head, by short, sharp rushes. She then collects 

 the large pellets of earth previously taken from the 

 tunnel, and with the aid of her mandibles, carefully 

 places them in position on the top of the finer earth 

 so as to make a close, well packed filling. Larger 

 pellets again are then used to fill up the burrow to 

 the original level, and the top is then covered by 

 a leaf, on top of which is placed a few scattered 

 pellets in order to make it as nearly indistinguish- 

 able as possible. So the nest is completed, and the 

 young wasp larva left to develop underground, the 

 parent wasp apparently taking no further interest 

 in the nest. Some three or four days later, I dug 



