WASPS, SOCIAL AND SOLITARY 



it was carried home without further manipulation. At 

 another time she paused in her home-coming to give the 

 victim one long squeeze at the neck. The crickets were 

 placed in pockets, neatly arranged on their backs with 

 their heads inward and their long legs projecting into 

 the main tunnel. They were alive when taken, but died 

 from day to day in the laboratory, the larvae eating 

 them in this state without criticism. 



While we were watching we noticed a much smaller 

 wasp hovering about, and presently she shpped into 

 the nest. When the owner returned and found her, 

 there was a slight commotion in the passage-way, and 

 then the inquiline appeared, shaking her wings in a 

 flippant manner, as though she cared nothing for an 

 encounter with the Big Blue. Instead of coming out 

 immediately as usual, coeruleum stayed inside for twenty- 

 five minutes. We should like to think that she was 

 occupied in finding and destroying the egg of the para- 

 site, but we have no reason to suppose that she could 

 recognize that menace to her fortunes. 



Cceruleum lives in her nest and enlarges it from day 

 to day to fit her necessities. On going over to the island 

 one morning we found a cricket sleeping calmly in the 

 entrance way, little guessing how dangerous was its posi- 

 tion. It did not budge until the wasp came creeping up 



260 



