252 WASP STUDIES AFIELD 



cause on one side were heavily-wooded hills and on the 

 other the bottom-lands between the track and the river 

 were cultivated fields and forest. 



The wasps were released on the railroad track just at the 

 edge of the town. 



No. i flew north thirty feet, made a circle to the northeast 

 and landed high in a cotton-wood tree. This one never re- 

 turned to the nest. 



No. 3 was released at 10: 25 ; it flew north-northwest and 

 settled in the weeds at the foot of the railroad embankment. 

 It returned to the nest the next day at 2 : 30 p. m. 



No. ii disappeared down the steep embankment as did 

 no. 3, but never returned to the nest. 



No. 13 circled above our heads, flew southwest and alighted 

 in a thicket of sweet clover. This one never returned 

 to the nest. 



No. 1 6 behaved in the same manner as 13 except that 

 it made its toilet for four minutes, then flew northward and 

 was lost to sight. It likewise did not return. 



No. 15 first flew southward for a few feet, then curved 

 to a southwesterly course and was lost in the thicket of 

 weeds at the foot of the embankment. This one reappeared 

 at the nest the same day at 7 : 30 p. m., after only nine hours 

 on the long journey. 



Of the six wasps which were started in this two-mile race, 

 two finished, no. 3, the one which had been out on two 

 previous test flights, and no. 15, out for the first time. It is 

 interesting to note further that the novice made the flight in 

 the shorter time, nine hours, whereas the other on this her 

 third flight took more than a day for it. Of course the 

 factor of fatigue may enter into the case of no. 3. Concern- 

 ing the four which failed utterly, we can only suspect that 

 they tried but lost their landmarks. 1 



1 We are indebted to Carl Eckart and Carl Witter for valuable as- 

 sistance in the early part of this work. 



