402 TROPICAL WILD LIFE IN BRITISH GUIANA 



inches of water. When bailed out, a pasty layer of clay 

 would be left in the bottom of each. This material, a ready 

 made mortar, proved attractive to a number of wasps, which 

 used mud in the construction of their nests. Tiny little reed- 

 wasps, medium-sized ones, big blue huntresses, daubers and 

 a dozen others collected at this abundant public property. 

 Here, side bj^ side, they gathered their building material, 

 all laboring in a great common design for the welfare of 

 their race in the future. 



The wasp brought several loads to her tube, scraping it 

 up from the floor of the pitfall and carrying it in little glo- 

 bules to her doorway. Once within, a high-keyed squeaking 

 and buzzing would continue until the clay was thoroughly 

 kneaded into a safety plug at the upper end of the reed. 

 Her trips between nest and pit were continued for nearly 

 an hour, like a hod-carrier laboriously plying between mortar 

 box and masonry. After many trips back and forth she 

 disappeared, returning in a little less than half an hour with 

 a limp, paralyzed spider. 



The victim, a medium-sized creature, was richly colored 

 and patterned in various shades of brown. Its body was 

 quite small, measuring six millimeters in width, but the legs, 

 all of which were intact, were long and rather cumbersome 

 to the wasp. With her burden she flew directly to the en- 

 trance of her nest. She alighted with difficulty, then turning 

 about and grasping the spider by one of its palpi she en- 

 deavored to enter the reed backwards. All went well for a 

 time. The victim's cephalothorax and fore legs caused no 

 trouble, but its abdomen caught at once upon the sharp edge 

 of the reed, which tapered almost to a point. From this 

 point the spider would not budge — and what is more, was in 

 great danger of being punctured. Had the wasp pulled too 

 hard it certainly would have been impaled on the reed and 

 ruined for future use. 



Here I witnessed a most skilful performance. Clinging 

 to the interior of the reed with only her two posterior claws, 



