The Ammophils 



theless this Httle feat of topographical mem- 

 ory is performed, sometimes with a precision 

 that left me astounded. The Wasp would 

 walk straight to her burrow as if she had 

 long been using all the little paths in the 

 neighbourhood. At other times, she would 

 wander backwards and forwards and renew 

 her search over and over again. 



If the quest is greatly prolonged, the prey, 

 which is a troublesome burden when you are 

 in a hurry to find your home, is laid down in 

 some high place, on a cluster of thyme or a 

 tuft of grass, where it will be well in sight 

 presently, when wanted. Thus eased, the 

 Ammophila resumes her active search. I 

 made a pencil-sketch, as she moved about, of 

 the tracks followed. The result was a med- 

 ley of tangled lines, with sudden bends and 

 turns, branches in and branches out, wind- 

 ings and repeated intersections, in short, a 

 regular labyrinth whose complicated maze 

 was an ocular demonstration of the perplex- 

 ity of the lost one. 



When the well has been found and the 

 slab removed, the Wasp has to come back 

 to the caterpillar, which is not always done 

 without some groping about, in cases where 

 her wanderings to and fro have been very 

 257 



