THE EUMENIDAE 317 



she went off on her northeasterly tour and was gone 15 

 minutes in fact, so long that she had trouble in locating 

 her burrow. Previously she had come to it directly every 

 time without a moment's confusion, but as unhesitatingly as 

 a man returns to his own home. She flew about, as if 

 confused, within twelve or eighteen inches of the burrow 

 for over a minute; then she gave up the search, went back 

 to the weeds about twenty-five feet away in the direction 

 from which she usually came, and from there came back to 

 it directly, showing again the necessity of going back to her 

 starting-point for her bearings. It was then necessary for 

 us to go. When we left her, she was continuing her north- 

 west trips by the oval route last described. In deserting this 

 wasp, we probably missed a most excellent opportunity of 

 seeing* the complete nidification, for this nest was probably 

 nearing completion. 



FIG. 60. The burrow of Odynerus doirsalis. Natural size. 



The nests are always about two or two and one-half 

 inches in depth, and a quarter to three-eighths inch in diam- 



