i6o 



WASP STUDIES AFIELD 



FIG. 36. Priononyx atratum, expressly drawn to show the wonderful 

 legs, capable of scraping and carrying soil, as well as being long enough 

 to gracefully straddle and ride home a large grasshopper. Natural size. 



was about. That done, she took a careless, free flight of 

 about eight feet, looked around for only a minute or two, 

 and began industriously digging. In about five minutes 

 she had dug to a depth of one-third of the length of her 

 body; then, quick as a flash, she jumped out and, with half 

 a dozen rapid scoops, whipped all the dirt back into the 

 hole and heaped it neatly on top. Then she tried a third 

 place less than a foot away, but deserted that also after a 

 few mouthfuls had been taken out and replaced. She began 

 the fourth burrow, six feet from the last, after walking 

 about ten minutes ; she dug a hole the length of her body in 

 a very business-like manner, then jumped out and kicked 

 the dirt in again. Next she walked about for ten minutes, 

 taking out a few mouthfuls in other locations, but putting 

 the dirt back with the same ultra-precision as before, and 

 at length flew away over the grass and across the field for 

 some distance. But she seemed faithful to her original 

 purpose; after ten minutes or so she came flying back, 

 alighted on the bare spot and doggedly began another hole. 

 In seven minutes it was as deep as the length of her body; 

 then she went off across the grass, leaving it open. In 

 about five minutes she came trudging back with a huge 



