WASPS, SOCIAL AND SOLITARY 



however, that she finally conquered the other and hur- 

 ried off with her prize. She showed by her manner that 

 she felt the need of haste, for instead of laying the spider 

 down and looking at the nest, she dragged it directly in, 

 as though she feared another attack. This was the first 

 time that we had ever seen these wasps fighting over 

 their prey, and we were surprised to find that they would 

 take spiders which they had not captured themselves, 

 since when we had tried to exchange with them they had 

 refused to carry out our scheme. This was clearly an 

 intelligent act, and could not be an affair of instinct. 



Once again we witnessed a similar struggle. One of 

 these wasps was laboriously dragging her strix up a 

 steep hillside, when a much bigger one of the same spe- 

 cies descended upon her and seized the spider. She was 

 loath to give it up, and they both pulled until it seemed 

 as though the poor creature would be dismembered. 

 The highway robber came off victorious, and after flying 

 to a distance hung the spider up while she finished a 

 partly made nest, and then stored it away. It may be 

 said in extenuation of her conduct that since she had a 

 nest started she had probably been robbed herself, and 

 therefore felt that she was entitled to a spider. 



The nests of quinquenotatus vary considerably ac- 

 cording to the kind of soil in which they are made, the 



