168 THE SOLITARY WASPS. 



down while she went inside for a moment, and then, coming 

 out, seized it by the antennae and backed in with it, instead of 

 taking it in forwards as was done in the other case. 



Another wasp of this species carried a much larger grass- 

 hopper which was so heavy that she could not jump with it, but 

 was obliged to keep to the ground. In this case only one was 

 used instead of two, which is the usual number. This wasp was 

 first seen at a distance of twenty feet from her nest, and yet 

 she went straight to the right spot without the least confusion, 

 showing that some individuals of the species have a better idea 

 of locality than others. 



The nest of this species is a short, shallow tunnel with an 

 enlargement at the end, within which are placed the grasshop- 

 pers, on their backs, with their heads in. (PL XI., fig. 5.) 

 Earth is packed solidly into the tunnel but not into the cavity 

 at the end. 



"We took two eggs of this species. Each was placed across 

 the thorax of the grasshopper at the base of the neck, on the 

 ventral side. Both hatched at the end of thirty-six hours from 

 the time they were laid, ate for three days, and then spun their 

 cocoons. One of them ate only one small grasshopper, leav- 

 ing a second one untouched,* while the other finished the large 

 grasshopper that formed her sole provision. 



The grasshoppers taken from the nests, five in number, were 

 in all cases alive, there being a quivering of the mouth parts, 

 and in some cases of the legs also, without any stimulation. 

 This condition lasted for twenty-four hours from the time the 

 poison was injected. After that they became quiet but re- 

 mained alive until they were destroyed by the larvae. 



It is a curious thing that in these wasps is found the perfec- 

 tion of that method of paralyzing the prey which is so much 

 dwelt upon by Fabre, although from their habits this fine work- 

 manship is not of the slightest use to them. They entomb 

 their victims underground, where the conditions are favorable 

 to their preservation, and the extremely short period that 



