ORDER VI.—VEIN-WINGED INSECTS. 241 
insect is more than one inch long, and of a dark-blue pur- 
plecolor. It makes Figure 68. 
its abode in the 
loose,sandy ground, 
and when digging 
its hole resembles << 
a dog digging after \ 
mice, throwing the 
earth under it to- 
ward its hind body 
with the fore feet. 
If the pile of sand 
becomes too high 
or troublesome, it 
places itself upon it, and throws the earth behind it with ~ 
great force until it is leveled. As soon as its subter- 
ranean abode is prepared, it seizes a large spider, or a 
caterpillar, or some other insect, stings it in the neck, and 
then carries it into its hole. It is curious to see one of 
these wasps take hold of a cockroach, seizing it by one of 
its long antenne, and continually walking backward, com- 
pelling the cockroach to follow, notwithstanding its great 
reluctance and constant opposition, until both have arrived 
at the hole, when the wasp kills it by a sting in the neck, 
then tears it into pieces, and carries it into her subterranean 
dwelling as food for her offspring. 
There are several other species of this wasp which man- 
age in a similar manner with their prey, but which make 
their dwellings in rotten wood, as the Philanthus; or build 
dwellings of clay upon the walls of houses, as the Pelopeus. 
There are others which build cells resembling honey- 
combs, which they manufacture out of decayed fibres of 
wood, aftemconverting them into a paper-like material. 
One species of these wasps fasten their abode, which con- 
sists only of a few dozen combs, upon the twig of a bush or 
L 

The Mud-wasp. 
