412 



unmolested. The earth which they brought out was always car- 

 ried to a considerable distance. On leaving the nest they gener- 

 ally rose eight or ten feet in the air, and on running beneath them 

 and watching them till they were lost sight of, which was usually 

 at the distance of one or two hundred feet from the nest, they 

 were never seen to drop their load. The earth was not carried 

 in any particular direction, but to all points of the compass. 

 Sometimes they brought out a heavier load than they could rise 

 with on the wing ; when this was the case, after making several 

 ineffectual efforts to fly away, they always carried it back again 

 into the hole. When there was a strong wind they were fre- 

 quently blown into the grass, from which they found it difficult to 

 disengage themselves, but under such circumstances they never 

 abandoned their load. 



The number of arrivals and departures at the entrance was 

 sometim.es only five in a minute, and at others as many as forty- 

 five. The rain did not materially interfere with their work. 

 Occasionally those going in opposite directions near the nest met 

 i« the air, when the one going out was almost always knocked 

 down by the one returning, the first having the disadvantage of 

 just starting as well as the incumbrance of a load. 



Some sugar which was placed near the entrance was not 

 touched by them, and was eventually carried away by the ants, 

 who were not molested. Fruit was also left without being eaten 

 by the hornets. Insects thrown down near the hole were at once 

 seized and carried in. A dragon-fly, which after several attempts 

 proved too heavy for one of them to move, was cut in two by a 

 few strokes of the jaws, and the hinder part of the abdomen car- 

 ried off. 



Death was an occasional visitor among the larva3, for their dead 

 bodies were frequently brought out, and like the loads of earth, 

 were carried off to a long distance. 



Sometimes one, and at others four or five, stood at the entrance, 

 performing no work nor moving about, but keeping their wings con- 

 stantly vibrating. The object of this did not appear. The bees 

 have a somewhat similar habit for ventilatins: their hives, but 

 then a much larger number are associated for the purpose. 



AVhen the entrance to the excavation was accidentally injured 

 it was repaired, or if an additional opening was made, it was 



