138 WASP STUDIES AFIELD 



out and contained mud partitions at intervals of % inch, 

 */2, iy%, 2%, 24 > ij4> I an d i inch. There were also indi- 

 cations of former mud partitions which had been removed. 

 There were also six holes in the stem along one side. These 

 clearly showed, by their large, rough and asymmetrical form, 

 that they had not been made by the insect emerging from 

 the interior, but must have been made by a stout-jawed or 

 -toothed creature from the outside. These openings were 

 on the outside irregular and varied from % to J4 i ncn m 

 length, while on the inside they were J^ to % nicn m length. 

 We can only suspect that a wood-pecker or some food- 

 hunter of like habits had broken into the nest when it was 

 first used, and devoured the occupants, and that thereafter 

 this wasp rented the house in spite of the leaky walls. At 

 the bottom of the cavity was a dried mass of spiders' legs 

 and parts. Whether the mother wasp had filled the lower 

 cell with spiders and then forgotten to lay the egg, or 

 whether in renting and clearing the house she had shoved 

 back all the debris, as does T. clavatuin, we do not know. 

 Since there were no shedding-skins or other rubbish with 

 the spiders, it seems safe to say that these spiders belonged 

 to the latest occupant. 



Just above this compartment full of spider remains were 

 two cells each containing a good pupa, which later gave 

 forth adults of 7". johnsoni. 



Next above these was a solid mud partition or plug which 

 was unbroken; this she had evidently put in for her roof. 

 One of the side-holes had served as her doorway. It is 

 evident that this had been the upper terminus of her nest, 

 for this heavy partition was unbroken, while all those above 

 this were perforated, as if the emerging insects had es- 

 caped by the top of the stem, and the upper cells were empty. 



Thus, only by virtue of detective methods, but without 

 having been a witness to the deeds, we suspect that this 



