1 82 WASP STUDIES AFIELD 



deliberate actions indicated this, but presently she changed 

 her mind and again went into the hole to make certain im- 

 provements in view of the coming storage, removed a few 

 more mouthfuls of dirt and again strolled slowly about her 

 nest. Then she flew off for her hopper. During this period 

 of her work, we had made a diligent search for her prey, 

 which we were certain she had in hiding somewhere near. 

 But now, without hesitation or uncertainty, she walked di- 

 rectly to a brown brick on the ground at the side of which 

 lay her hopper, almost indistinguishable against its similar- 

 colored background. 



Once, while she was at work in the hole, a red-banded 

 Stilus unicinctus had poked her head in and walked away 

 without further intrusion ; but now, while she was gone, the 

 same meddler returned and wandered about the vicinity, 

 with a "looking for something" manner. 



P. thomae straddled the hopper, grasped its antennae in 

 her mouth and struggled on her way over the rolling cin- 

 ders. It was with considerable difficulty that she rode the 

 hopper; besides the grasp on its antennae she gripped the 

 hopper's neck with her forelegs; so she walked with her 

 hind legs, while the middle legs attempted to assist, but, 

 owing to their shortness or the thickness of the burden, they 

 seldom reached the ground. The hopper itself often assisted 

 in their progress in this way: as thomae dragged her prey 

 forward, the tarsi of its hind legs would cling to the rough 

 cinders, and, while the heavy body was being pulled forward, 

 the hind legs would thus be stretched out to their fullest 

 extent; of course this process would lift the .rear part of the 

 grasshopper and make the body pitch forward. When the 

 legs had reached their full extent, they would snap shut and 

 the process would be repeated, pushing the heavy body 

 slightly forward each time, thus at least avoiding hin- 



