18-i LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



pellets were treated in the same way till the foun- 

 dation was finished. Then she placed several 

 pellets and kneaded and worked at it till a hollow 

 appeared. Now a little cylindrical cell began to 

 take shape and form. The wall of this was com- 

 pleted, but the cavity was not closed in. The cell 

 was over an inch in length, and the time occupied 

 in building it was ij days. 



The wasp was now absent for a longer period 

 than usual, but on returning we noticed that the little 

 mud ball was not the burden this time, but instead 

 quite a large spider was held securely in its jaws. 

 Four legs of the spider were arranged straight in 

 front of the body, and parallel to it, and four similarly 

 behind the body. The wasp came to the door of 

 the cell, promptly pushed the spider in, and then 

 crawled in herself to do the packing. The spider 

 was not dead, but merely paralysed by the sting of 

 its captor. Other spiders were brought and packed 

 into the cell in a similar manner. 



Now the reader may wonder what the wasp is 

 going to do with these spiders. She does not eat 

 them herself, but nature has taught her how to pro- 

 vide for her young, who do not happen to be like 

 their mother in respect to diet. 



When the first cell was fully provisioned, the wasp 

 placed a tiny egg in it, then sealed it by placing a 

 mud cap over the entrance. 



The spiders were now in an almost airtight cavity, 

 and would probably keep quite fresh until they had 

 served their purpose. 



Other cells were built and stored in tlie same wav; 



I 



