downing] burrowing SPIDER OF THE DUNES 321 



removed sand and that of the firm walls of the hole. In fact you 

 could not tell where the hole had been and the spider had to be 

 discovered by scooping out the sand of the region and sifting him 

 out of it. He was limp but responded to touch by spasmodic 

 movements of his legs. Though left on the sand in the open air 

 for several hours he made no attempt at escape. 



The egg of the wasp was found attached to the spider's body 

 between the third pair of legs. Presiimably she had laid it in 

 place in the interval between her disappearance into her hole 

 with the spider and her reappearance. When the egg hatches 

 into the little lan'-a the spider serves as food while it is gro\snng. 

 The full grown larva pupates in its imdergrotmd cell. In due time 

 a wasp hatches out from the pupa, digs its way to freedom and is 

 ready to carry on its life. If a female it will, without instruction, 

 without even seeing the process done, go through this whole com- 

 plicated performance dig its hole, hunt about for a spider, paralyze 

 it with its dagger thrust, store it tmderground with the egg upon it, 

 fill in the excavation. And the young spider is no less remarkable. 

 It digs its hole and lines the upper part with silk quite as well as 

 does the old one. Such compHcated instincts quite beggar expla- 

 nation. 



Annual Meeting and Election of Officers 



This Meeting will be held in St. Loms in connection with the 

 meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. Officers to be elected are as follows : 



A president to succeed Prof. S. C. Schmucker, Pa. 



Five vice-presidents. 



Five directors for three years to succeed 



Prof. J. A. Drushel (Mo.), Prof. C. H. Robison (N. J.) 

 Prof. S. C. Schmucker (Pa.), Prof. G. H. Trafton (Minn.) 

 Prof. W. E. Wager (111.) whose terms have expired. 



Five directors for two years to succeed 



Mrs. Anna B. Comstock (N. Y.), Prof. J. A. Deamess (Ont.), 

 Prof. L. H. De Wolfe, (N. S)., Prof. J. G. Needham (N. Y.), 

 W. A. Slingerland (N. Y.), whose terms expire this year. 



Nominations shoiild be sent in at once to Mrs. Axxa B. Com- 

 stock, Sec'y-Editor. 



