CRABRO 



at work. Unlike us, they had taken no morning nap, 

 but had gone on with their tunneling in their usual 

 steady way. 



From this time their ways diverged, and they must be 

 described separately. At nine o'clock the one that we 

 had first seen came up to the opening, walking head 

 first, and flew off, remaining away seven minutes. When 

 she returned she at once resumed her work, and kept 

 at it without a pause until two in the afternoon. At this 

 hour she went away, and we never saw her again. We 

 suppose that she was killed, for it seems improbable 

 that so faithful a creature could have deserted her half- 

 finished home. Pompilus quinquenotatus often deserted 

 a partly finished nest for some more enticing spot, and 

 Sphex started several excavations before making a final 

 choice; but we cannot believe that there was anything 

 fickle about Crabro. 



The second wasp came up head first to the entrance 

 of her hole at two minutes after nine, as though she 

 had been influenced, in some subtle way, by her neigh- 

 bor's example; but after looking about for a moment 

 she went back. She repeated this observation several 

 times, and finally, at twenty-five minutes after nine, 

 came out and flew to a leaf near by. Then she cir- 

 cled around, alighting a number of times, and at last 

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