28S WASPS AND THEIR WAYS 



was nobody's business but her own. Had 

 it occurred to Madam to look for trouble- 

 some intruders outside the hole instead of 

 inside, she would have saved herself a 

 great deal of time and strength. 



That wasps may exercise ingenuity in 

 capturing their prey is proved by the fol- 

 lowing story. 



A wasp was once seen to alight within 

 an inch or two of a spider's nest on the 

 side opposite the opening. 



" Creeping noiselessly around towards 

 the entrance of the nest, the wasp stopped 

 a little short of it and for a moment re- 

 mained perfectly quiet, then reaching out 

 one of his antenna he wriggled it before 

 the opening and withdrew it. This over- 

 ture had the desired effect, for the boss of 

 the nest, as large a spider as one ordinarily 

 sees, came out to see what was wrong 

 and to set it to rights. No sooner had the 

 spider emerged to that point at which he 

 was at the worst disadvantage, than the 



