262 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS 



changed its appearance. She seemed un- 

 able to believe her eyes, and her persistent 

 refusal to accept the fact that her nest had 

 been destroyed was pathetic. She stayed 

 about the garden all through the day, and 

 made so many visits to us, getting under 

 our umbrellas and thrusting her tremen- 

 dous personality into our very faces, that 

 we wondered if she were trying to ques- 

 tion us as to the whereabouts of her 

 property." 



Earth-digging wasps are always on the 

 watch for parasitic enemies. Many of them 

 close their burrows upon leaving them 

 even for a short time, and some of 

 them exercise great ingenuity in removing 

 all traces of their presence or in marking 

 the spot, probably for their own assistance 

 in identifying it upon their return. Nor 

 is caution unnecessary, as the parasitic flies 

 are often seen hunting about the neigh- 

 bourhood of a wasp's excavation, looking 

 for the nest during the absence of the 



