172 THE SOLITARY WASPS. 



ing out with it in her mandibles, and not using her legs at alL 

 Then she went back to her locust, which, in the meantime, had 

 been jerking its legs up and down and showing plainly that it 

 was not in a state of suspended animation. She caught it by 

 one antenna, straddled it with her long legs, and ran along 

 briskly, very much like an Ammophila until she had reached 

 the open space between the rows of plants in which her nest was 

 situated, but here, at a distance of about three feet from the 

 nest itself, she dropped it, and walked deliberately away, past 

 the nest and considerably beyond it. Now again she flattened 

 herself out close to the ground, and remained in that attitude 

 for five minutes. Whether because she was not quite ready 

 to lay the egg, or for some other reason^ it was evident that she 

 was in no hurry. At last, however, she . approached the locust 

 again. Just before she reached it, it gave a jump as if in nor- 

 mal health, but did not attempt to fly. "We certainly ex- 

 pected that she would sting it again, but no, she straddled it 

 as before, holding it at the base of the antennae, and carried it 

 to the nest. Here it was dropped while she ran in for a mo- 

 ment, came out, and then backed in again, caught it, still by 

 the base of the antennae, and dragged it out of sight. When,, 

 after a few minutes, she came out, we caught her and put her 

 under a glass with another locust, but she would not touch it. 



The nest was not excavated until two days later, exactly 

 forty-eight hours from the time the egg was laid. It ran in 

 obliquely for two inches, and had no pocket. The locust had 

 been pulled in head first with its long third legs stretched out 

 behind, and the earth had been pressed in around it so closely 

 that it could not move. As soon as we began to remove the 

 earth we were conscious of a violent kicking down in the dirt. 

 The position of the head was indicated by a long antenna which 

 stuck up through the covering. As the earth was gently pushed 

 away the egg was revealed. It was fastened to the upper side 

 of the body (the locust lay on its right side) in the skin just 

 above the third leg, so that the long curved free end extended 

 over the thigh. As soon as the locust was uncovered it jumped 



