286 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS 



come flying rapidly from a distance and 

 drop upon just the right spot in a bank 

 where, to the human eye, there is nothing 

 to mark the place, and where all about are 

 other concealed burrows of neighbours, 

 ready to pounce upon the luckless house- 

 holder who should make a mistake and 

 attempt to open the wrong door. Al- 

 though the wasps live thus in settlements, 

 they are no more free from petty disagree- 

 ments with their neighbours than are much 

 larger and supposedly wiser creatures. 



Sometimes they quarrel, and apparently 

 for the mere sake of quarrelling, very likely 

 finding in this interesting pastime an out- 

 let for overflowing wasp spirits. Some- 

 times they do more than quarrel ; they are 

 mean enough to steal one another's provi- 

 sions when hunting is poor; and when 

 one returns with a prize, several will give 

 chase and try to relieve her of her burden. 



Certain of the fossorial wasps, when 

 they bring prey to the burrow, first enter 



