278 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS 



This remarkable occurrence is not the 

 only one of the kind on record, for in 

 Western Kansas a species of Ammophila 

 was observed to use a pebble in the same 

 way to close the opening to her hole. The 

 facts are thus reported, — 



" When the excavation had been carried 

 to the required depth, the wasp, after a 

 survey of the premises, flying away, soon 

 returned with a large pebble in its mandi- 

 bles, which it carefully deposited within 

 the opening ; then, standing over the en- 

 trance upon her four posterior feet, she 

 (I say she, for it was evident that they 

 were all females) rapidly and most amus- 

 ingly scraped the dust with her two front 

 feet, ' hand over hand,' back beneath her, 

 till she had filled the hole above the stone 

 to the top. The operation so far was re- 

 markable enough, but the next procedure 

 was more so. When she had heaped up 

 the dirt to her satisfaction, she again flew 

 away, and immediately returned with a 



