A SAND QUARRY IN WINTER. 41 



entrance is no larger than the diameter of the burrow 

 itself, while the former are irregularly conical, the blow 

 of the shot having always broken away a quantity of 

 friable sand. Not a single shot remains in any of -the 

 many holes, the heavy leaden pellets having all rolled 

 out of their conical beds. 



To trace up the burrow of the sand-wasp is a diffi- 

 cult task. I find that the best plan is to select a spot 

 about a foot square, in which the burrows are very 

 numerous, and then to pare away the sand in thin slices. 

 If this be done neatly and carefully, the whole of the 

 burrow can be laid down open from mouth to end. 

 Mostly they run horizontally, like those of the Kentish 

 bee, being driven at right angles to the face of the 

 sand-bank, but some of them make a sudden curve, 

 when they have gone" a few inches into the sand, run 

 for a little distance parallel with the quarry face, and 

 then resume their former direction. 



Suddenly we come upon a small lump of something 

 black and fluffy, looking much as if a small pinch of 

 black cloth teasings had been rolled into a little cylin- 

 der and pushed to the bottom of the tunnel. We care- 

 fully get it out with the point of a penknife, and slip 

 it into a box, so as to prevent it from being blown away 

 by the wind. Presently another and another of the 

 black lumps is discovered and transferred to the box. 

 Presently we come to another lump, which is pale 

 brown instead of black, and place it with the others. 

 Now, having preserved as many specimens as are 



