SOME SOCIAL WASPS 249 



flight; the other four wasps, 7, 8, 10, and 12, had never 

 before been used. 



These nine wasps were gathered between 8 : 50 and 9 125 

 a. m. and placed in individual large test-tubes plugged with 

 loose cotton, the tubes placed under cover and carried along 

 the road to Becks. The contortions of the winding road 

 were even increased by the usual turns of confusion. All 

 were released at one place and time, between 10: 50 and 

 ii : 12 a. m. The temperature was about 92 F. with no 

 perceptible wind. In order to reach home, they would have 

 to fly southeast. 



The return of the five wasps which had had previous 

 experience in the first trial was as follows: no. 2, when re- 

 leased, flew north-northwest and alighted on a telegraph 

 pole, then it made a large circle and dashed away southeast, 

 toward home, but it never arrived at its nest during the eight 

 days we kept watch for it. No. 3 flew southeast for fifteen 

 feet and alighted on a bush, then circled about and flew away 

 north-northwest, in quite the opposite direction from her 

 home. She returned to the nest at 4 : 05 p. m., having made 

 the trip in five hours and being the first to reach the nest in 

 this experiment, as well as the preceding one. No. 4 flew 

 south-southeast to a bush fifteen feet away, rested for a few 

 seconds and then flew directly eastward, almost the proper 

 direction for reaching home. This one did not arrive at the 

 nest until 9 : 30 the next morning, after an absence from 

 home of 23 hours. No. 5 when liberated flew for twelve feet 

 south-southeast and alighted for a moment on a bush, then 

 turned its course northeastward. This one did not return 

 that day, but the next day, when our patience was almost ex- 

 hausted, she came in at 5 : 45 p. m., after an absence of 

 approximately one and one-half days. No. 6 flew directly 

 westward to a bush twenty feet away. This one never 

 returned, although it too was sought for eight days. 



