186 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS 



again, as soon as it came opposite to it. 

 Three small seed-pods which here grew 

 close together formed the marks that I had 

 myself taken to note the place, and these 

 the wasp seemed also to have taken as its 

 guide, for it flew directly down to them, 

 and ran inside ; but the small leaf on which 

 the fragments of caterpillar lay, not being 

 directly connected with any on the out- 

 side, it again missed it, and again got far 

 away from the object of its search. It 

 then flew out again, and the same process 

 was repeated again and again. 



** Always when, in circling round, it came 

 in sight of the seed-pods down it pounced, 

 alighted near them, and recommenced its 

 quest on foot. I was surprised at its per- 

 severance, and thought it would have given 

 up the search ; but not so. It returned at 

 least half a dozen times, and seemed to get 

 angry, hurrying about with buzzing wings. 



" At last it stumbled across its prey, 

 seized it eagerly, and as there was nothing 



