WHITE-FOOTED WASP 403 



the wasp lowered the spider very carefully and deliberately 

 until its entire body swung free in the air. Here, clasped 

 tightly in the wasp's strong mandibles, it was held by its two 

 front legs, and rotated so that its abdomen came into the 

 position so lately held by the cephalothorax. Then walking 

 backward up the tube the wasp succeeded in bearing her vic- 

 tim to its last resting place. 



As I have already stated, the wasp seeks out spiders 

 which although of moderate size, possess long, slender legs, 

 and there is a simple significance in her choice. The wasp's 

 nest is a hollow reed whose smooth perpendicular walls end 

 abruptly in space. Her front door gapes in the void and 

 must be approached from below. The spider's body alone 

 is considerably smaller than the diameter of the tube. Thus 

 were the wasp to choose a short-legged victim it would drop 

 from the nest at the instant of release. The long legs of her 

 spider are doubtless burdensome, yet they are a necessity 

 to the success of her work. In drawing them into the reed, 

 their legs fold back between abdomen and reed, filling the 

 intervening space so nicely that the entire creature remains 

 wherever the wasp places it. 



Four of these spiders are allotted to each of the three 

 cells, which are separated as the wasp provisions them, with 

 plugs of clay three millimeters in thickness. Upon the side 

 of the largest spider in each cell, a three-millimeter egg is 

 deposited. It is slightly bowed, just enough to fit the curve 

 of the spider's abdomen, slightly elongated at one end and 

 about the color of skimmed milk. 



The three cells vary considerably in size. One measures 

 three inches, another two and the third is an inch and three- 

 quarters long. For these differences I can see no reason. 

 So long as there are three cells in the tube the wasp is appar- 

 ently quite satisfied to place her divisions at random. 



The egg hatches in forty-eight hours, resulting in the 

 characteristic wasp grub of thirteen segments. It commences 

 feeding at once upon the stored spiders, first drawing off the 



