292 WASP STUDIES AFIELD 



this stone, to observe the behavior of the queen, taking 

 precautions, however, to lay another broad stone of the 

 same color above it, in order to* give her the roof and the 

 shelter from the light and weather to which she was accus- 

 tomed. She remained on the upturned nest until 3 p. m.. 

 about five hours, and then deserted it. The next day the 

 little black ants were stealing the goodies from the exposed 

 nest. Watch was kept at frequent intervals for the next 

 two days, but the queen never returned. 



Another small nest of P. pallipes, built on the sheltered 

 side of a loose door which leaned against the side of a barn, 

 was exposed, by turning the door, to the direct rays of the 

 August sun. The nest was soon deserted by the owners. 

 Shortly afterward we found that the larvae, too, had been 

 torn out, probably by birds. 



All wasps are usually so diligent about their domestic 

 duties that we seldom catch them doing so commonplace a 

 thing as eating in fact, we are almost surprised when we 

 find them pausing to take nourishment for themselves. 



Early one August morning, we found a P. pallipes visit- 

 ing a small wound in a willow tree. It remained for per- 

 haps a half-hour, with its head buried in the soft, moist 

 tissues, but when it left we could see that it carried away 

 no wood-pulp. Hence we concluded it was only breakfast- 

 ing off the juice and pulp. 



A cottonwood tree bore a decayed spot on the top of a 

 projecting root. Two P. pallipes were busying themselves 

 about it when we discovered it at 9 : 40 a. m. Thinking it 

 would be a good chance to see them gather pulp for nidifi- 

 cation, we watched their every movement. A few min- 

 utes later a black and yellow Eumenid came to the same 

 place as if returning to a familiar spot. During the next 

 hour while we remained, thev came and went at intervals, 

 often pausing on the rotted wood for ten minutes or more, 



