WASPS, SOCIAL AND SOLITARY 



at it, decided that something was wrong, hunted about 

 a little for her own spider, and then flew away. 



We had then, as the fruit of our morning's work, 

 gained nothing in regard to a knowledge of the stinging 

 habits of our wasp, but at least we had secured three 

 freshly paralyzed spiders to add to our laboratory col- 

 lection. As to the strix that had so kindly assisted us 

 in our experiments, we placed it on a bush in the plea- 

 santest and most secluded corner of the garden and left 

 it there, wishing it a long and happy life. 



Later on in the season we tried the same experiment. 

 Taking her spider from quinquenotatus as she was 

 dragging it to her nest, we offered her a very lively strix 

 in its place. She would not notice it at all, and soon flew 

 away. Half an hour later she reappeared, and seemed 

 to be looking for a place to dig. As she ran about on 

 the ground we offered her another spider, dropping it 

 on the ground in front of her. This one behaved ad- 

 mirably, drawing up its legs and keeping perfectly still, 

 not moving even when she felt of it and turned it over, 

 but it was left without any display of interest or emotion. 



One day we saw a quinquenotatus finish her nest and 

 go after her spider. She was absent for some time, and 

 when an ant passed by, dragging a paralyzed strix that 

 had evidently been stolen from some wasp, we thought 



2IO 



