BEHAVIOR OF POMPILID WASPS 73 



left it and, in the same wild manner, looked for crevices, 

 went from one to another and eventually carried the spider 

 to a shallow one. Not satisfied with this the wasp dragged 

 her burden further and, in an uncertain way, wandered 

 about with it. Presently she lost her prey, but continued 

 roaming about, possibly looking for it. 



Being unable to wait longer, we took the wasp to make 

 sure of the species. While the story here is incomplete, 

 these observations show that these wasps are persistent in 

 remaining in a spot, when they are suspicious that their prey 

 lies hidden thereabouts, and that they get their prey first and 

 then hunt for a suitable crevice wherein to deposit it. 



Even later in the season than this, October 26, the active 

 P. pompilns were more abundant than at an earlier date. 

 While these wasps had frequently been seen before in search 

 of game, on this day four were discovered with spiders, 

 on a clay bank. One in particular was followed and 

 watched. She had a medium-sized spider in her mouth 

 and was nervously and quickly moving with it. We say 

 moving because her gait has no name ; she was walking and 

 flying without lifting her legs from the ground and doing 

 bcth equally well, either pushing her burden forward or 

 going backward and dragging it with her. She would often 

 leave her prey to explore the region for suitable holes. At 

 last one was found on a perpendicular bank, eighteen inches 

 from where the spider lay. This bank was almost straight 

 up and down, and we wondered how it would be possible 

 for the wasp to carry the prey up to the hole. It seemed 

 for a time as if it were not possible, for in the twenty or 

 more attempts that she made walking backward and climb- 

 ing up the bank, invariably both fell down; either she 

 tumbled down holding to her prey or she dropped it and 

 flew down after it. She made a few examinations of other 

 nearby holes, as if considering the advisability of a change 



