The Hunting Wasps 



edge of the hole. If she was not stored 

 away, it was not the huntress' fault, but 

 mine. The Wasp performed her task ac- 

 cording to the inflexible rule; and, also ac- 

 cording to the inflexible rule, she completes 

 her work by stopping up the dwelling, empty 

 though it be. We have here an exact repeti- 

 tion of the useless exertions made by the 

 Languedocian Sphex whose home has just 

 been plundered. 



Experiment IF 



It is almost impossible to make certam 

 whether the Yellow-winged Sphex, who con- 

 structs several cells at the end of the same 

 passage and stacks several Crickets m each, 

 is equally illogical when accidentally dis- 

 turbed in her proceedings. A cell can be 

 closed though empty or imperfectly victualled 

 and the Wasp will none the less continue to 

 come to the same burrow in order to work at 

 the others. Nevertheless, I have reason to 

 believe that this Sphex is subject to the same 

 aberrations as her two kinswomen. My con- 

 viction is based on the following facts: the 

 number of Crickets found in the cells, when 

 all the work is done, is usually four to each 

 208 



