WASPS, SOCIAL AND SOLITARY 



front feet folded beneath her, she pressed down the dust 

 all over and about the opening, smoothing off the surface, 

 and accompanying the action with a peculiar rasping 

 sound. After all this was done, and she spent several 

 minutes each time in thus stamping the earth so that only 

 a keen eye could detect any abrasion of the surface, she 

 laid aside the little pebble and flew away to be gone some 

 minutes. Soon, however, she comes back with a heavy 

 flight, scarcely able to sustain the soft green larva, as long 

 as herself, that she brings. The larva is laid upon the 

 ground, a little to one side, when, going to the spot where 

 she had industriously labored, by a few, rapid strokes she 

 throws out the dust and withdraws the stone cover, laying 

 it aside. Next, the larva is dragged down the hole, where 

 the wasp remains for a few minutes, afterwards returning 

 and closing up the entrance precisely as before. This, we 

 thought, was the end, and supposed that the w^asp would 

 now be off about her other affairs, but not so ; soon she 

 returns with another larva, precisely like the first, and the 

 whole operation is again repeated. And not only the 

 second time, but again and again, till four or five of the 

 larvae have been stored up for the sustainment of her future 

 offspring. Once, while a wasp had gone down the hole 

 with a larva, my friend quietly removed the door stone that 

 she had placed by the entrance. Returning, she looked 

 about for her door, but not finding it, apparently mistrusted 

 the honesty of a neighbor, which had just descended, 

 leaving her own door temptingly near. She purloined 

 this pebble and was making off with it, when the rightful 



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