SENSE OF DIRECTION 



good-sized windows; one looked west over the lake and 

 away from the nest, the other east toward the nest, and 

 both we iv wide open. The west window was the brighter, 

 but the other was light, the sun being on that side of the 

 house. 



We placed the cage in the middle of this room and 

 opened the door, stationing ourselves well to one side 

 so as not to interfere with the movements of the wasps. 

 They came out very naturally, pausing a moment before 

 flying, and followed each other so slowly that we could 

 easily see which window they went out by. Twenty- 

 two flew through the west window away from the nest, 

 and sixteen through the east toward the nest. 



At another time we took fourteen wasps from the 

 nest of a different species and carried them seventy- 

 three yards to the southeast. The cage was opened so 

 that they could fly out in any direction they chose, and 

 they all started in a straight line for the nest. Later on 

 the same day, we took forty-five from this nest, and set 

 them free one hundred and seventy-six yards to the 

 south. Seven flew north toward the nest, twenty-one 

 south, eight west, and seven east, while the other two 

 circled around as they rose higher and higher, until 

 they were lost to view. None in this experiment returned 

 to take a fresh start. 



277 



