THE MINERS 267 



for she has travelled a h'ttle too far. She 

 must go back one row into the open space 

 that she has already crossed, although not 

 just at this point. Nothing like a nest is 

 visible to us. The surface of the ground 

 looks all alike, and it is with exclamations 

 of wonder that we see our little guide lift 

 two pellets of earth which have served as 

 a covering to a small opening running 

 down into the ground. 



" The way being thus prepared, she hur- 

 ries back with her wings quivering and her 

 whole manner betokening joyful triumph 

 at the completion of her task. 

 We, in the meantime, have be- 

 come as much excited over the' 

 matter as she is herself. She 

 picks up the caterpillar, brings 

 it to the mouth of the burrow - 



and lays it down. Then, backing in her- 

 self, she catches it in her mandibles and 

 drags it out of sight, leaving us full of 

 admiration and delight. 



