INSECT EXCAVATORS, 97 



and remaining thus till joined by the male, who 

 always seized the abdomen of the female with 

 his mandibles ; she then would immediately 

 march off, still clasped by the male, the pair 

 looking like an engine and tender. After going 

 a few paces she would stop suddenly and com- 

 mence digging a hole in the sand, the male 

 then letting go his hold and digging by her 

 side. Sometimes another pair would join them 

 and work at the same hole, but generally each 

 pair worked alone. 



Presently a large black wasp-like insect, a 

 member of the numerous family Pompilidce, 

 came skimming along close to the ground, and 

 seeing the busy community of ants, was imme- 

 diately seized with the general mania for hole- 

 making, and set to work himself in frantic 

 haste, removing pellet after pellet of sand with 

 great rapidity ; and although these insects also 

 make their nests in the sand, I feel sure that 

 he had no intention of making one when he 

 first came by, but had simply caught the excite- 

 ment, for after making a small hole he flew 



