SOME GRAVE DIGGERS. 115 



Cerceris deserta Say. 



Of this species, which closely resembles clypeata but appears 

 later in, the season, we had only a single example. We chanced 

 to see her dropping into a crevice among some lumps of earth 

 and at first could scarcely believe that this was the dwelling 

 place of a wasp, as there was nothing whatever about it to in- 

 dicate a nest, and even after we had removed the rough pieces 

 of earth above, we could see nothing of the loose material that 

 must have been carried out. 



She was much like clypeata in her manners, with the same 

 habit of surveying the world from her doorway and manifesting 

 the same annoyance at our presence when she was returning to 

 the nest, but she carried in more beetles in the course of the day 

 and worked much more rapidly. Between nine and eleven 

 o'clock one morning she brought in five loads, and some of the 

 journeys occupied only ten minutes. 



The first time that she found us sitting by her nest she circled 

 about for nearly an hour, seeming unable to make up heB mind 

 to enter. At length we withdrew a little way but still her sus- 

 picions were not entirely allayed, and after a further study of 

 the situation she dropped, not into her own nest but into a large 

 cricket hole near by. Taken aback by this manoeuvre, and 

 thinking that perhaps we had a second individual to deal with, 

 we stealthily approached, and peering in, could see the cricket 

 inside, the wasp having slipped beyond. It did not seem pos- 

 sible that the little creature could be endeavoring to deceive us, 

 and yet what other explanation could be offered for her con- 

 duct? We again took up our distant position, and after ten 

 minutes more had the satisfaction of seeing the wasp slip- out of 

 the false nest and drop instantly into the true one. After a 

 little she became quite accustomed to us and entered her nest 

 without the least delay. 



The prey of deserta (Conotrachelus posticatus Boh.) is held 

 in the mandibles, and while we were watching her she did not 

 .support it with the second legs, even when flying. We took 



