TrtE CARPENTERS 251 



the palm for industry, not only from 

 other wasps, but from the ant and bee as 

 well." 



Although the nest was excavated, little 

 Crabro's labours were not over, for it had 

 to be provisioned, and for the next three 

 or four days she was industriously seeking, 

 catching, and storing flies. Let us hope 

 that between times she rested on some 

 lovely flower-cluster, and refreshed herself 

 with nectar. 



The end of her little drama is tragic, as 

 so often happens with the wasps. She 

 succeeded in stocking one cell, laying 

 one tgg, and closing the compartment 

 with pith, and that was all; she went 

 forth never to return. What happened 

 to her, nobody knows, but somewhere 

 in the big world where evil creatures lie 

 in wait for little wasps, she met her 

 death. 



Her tunnel was thirty-nine centimetres 

 in length, long enough to allow of ten 



