74 THE SOLITARY WASPS. 



idea, probably arose from the fact that nearly the whole body of 

 the fly is visible. 



Our new found wasp stayed only a moment in her nest, al- 

 though, as we afterward found, it was long enough for her to 

 lay her egg on the fly. When she came out she quickly 

 smoothed the sand over the spot with her head and legs so that 

 there was notliing to mark the nest, and flew away. In three 

 minutes she returned with another fly. She alighted two or 

 three inches away and scratched for an instant, but quickly saw 

 her mistake and found the right spot. 



Again and again the pretty little worker went and came, 

 wliile we sat watching close by, admiring her deft handiwork in 

 opening and closing the nest and wondering at the ease with 

 which she found it at each return. There was nothing tire- 

 some or dilatory about this species. Within twenty minutes 

 we had seen six flies stored up. The nest was closed and the 

 place smoothed over every time before she went away, but when 

 she entered she left the door open behind her. We once tried 

 to make her drop the fly, but when disturbed she flew up and 

 alighted on a plant near by, keeping her hold on it. The whole 

 performance was brisk and business-like but without the fever- 

 ish hurry of Amiiiophila and Pompilus. 



After the sixth fly Avas taken in we were afraid to let her go 

 again for fear that the nest was now completely provisioned, 

 and that she would not return. She was such a charming Httle 

 wasp, scarcely bigger than ai fly herself, and yet so useful in her 

 industry, that we hated to disturb her, but as we were obliged 

 to have her for identification we first caught her and then 

 opened the nest. (PI. VIIL, fig. T.) It contained only the 

 flies that we had seen taken in, the egg being attached to the 

 one lowest down on the left side, between the head and the 

 thorax. It was long and cylindrical. The flies were dead but 

 showed no marks of violence. 



She must have dug the nest before catching the first fly, as 

 there was no delay when she brought it in; and if, as seems 



