396 TROPICAL WILD LIFE IN BRITISH GUIANA 



True to the tradition of wasp history, the female pro- 

 ceeds with the hard labor of nest building and providing for 

 her family. The male, while he never actually takes part in 

 the work, sits menacingly in the entrance, during his mate's 

 absence, guarding the nest from intruders of the same spe- 

 cies that are ever ready unbidden to acquire a partly pre- 

 pared home. He shows great interest in the work, following 

 the female into the tunnel, watching closely whatever she 

 may be doing and squeaking continually in a high pitched 

 key by vibrating his wings. This is a common habit among 

 many wasps during the work hours, but the species in ques- 

 tion omits this strange little rasping sound during almost all 

 of its occupations. I interpret it as an expression of pleas- 

 ure or well-being, like a man who whistles at his job. The 

 sound is never heard during fright or anger, but of this I 

 shall treat in another chapter. 



Upon occupying a tube, the female's first procedure is 

 to place a plug of solid mortar in the end of it, doubtless to 

 prevent parasites and ants from entering. This plug is two 

 millimeters in thickness and composed of wet, light gray clay. 

 It dries in a few hours, hardening into a tough cement. Next 

 to this, a second plug, one millimeter in thickness, is placed, 

 containing more moisture than the first and of a much dark- 

 er shade. This is followed by a third one of the same de- 

 scription, placed five or six millimeters in front of the sec- 

 ond plug, so that there is an air space between them which 

 holds moisture in the nest. The tube is now provisioned with 

 small spiders of different species, varying from five to eight 

 in number, which are paralyzed by the wasp's sting and 

 brought in one by one. They are packed tightly into the 

 tube by the insect's broad head which is brought into use as 

 a sort of ramrod. The tube is a tiny, muzzle-loader, into 

 which she packs her living wads without mercy. 



Upon the side or apex of the last, and usually the larg- 

 est, spider's abdomen, she deposits a milky-white, bow- 

 shaped egg, two millimeters in length. It is less than one- 



