264 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS 



The same observer once accompanied 

 an Ammophila home through a way so 

 intricate that the wonder was the creature 

 ever accomplished the herculean task. 

 This Ammophila was a little black wasp, 

 with the usual well-developed intellect of 

 the Ammophila folk — for of all the wasps, 

 they are among the most intelligent. 



" During the earlier part of the summer 

 we had often seen these wasps feeding 

 upon the nectar of flowers, especially upon 

 that of the sorrel, of which they are par- 

 ticularly fond, but at that time we gave 

 them but passing notice. One bright 

 morning in the middle of July, however, 

 we came upon one that was so evidently 

 hunting, and hunting in earnest, that we 

 gave up everything else to follow her. 

 The ground was covered, more or less 

 thickly, with patches of purslane, and it 

 was under these weeds that our Am- 

 mophila was eagerly searching for her 

 prey. After thoroughly investigating one 



