566 BEES AND WASPS. 



a few minutes, or perhaps for an hour, according to her success 

 in hunting. At length back she comes with a big fly in her 

 grasp, benumbed by her sting. She carries it in, lays an egg 

 in the body, which will serve as food for the soft footless 

 grub soon to be hatched, and then closing the entrance, sets 

 to work to form a new nursery like the first, which she will 

 furnish in the same careful manner. It is curious how she 

 can find her way back, for often she has to go half a mile 

 before she can find a fly to suit her purpose. 



Another species, the Monedula sigiiata, as large as a 

 hornet, is particularly useful in carrying off the teasing flies, 

 the bloodthirsty motucas, which buzz round the voyager 

 on the Amazon when at anchor near a sand-bank. Bates 

 was rather startled by seeing one fly directly at his face, on 

 which it had espied a motuca, and which it carried off, 

 holding it tightly to its breast. 



The pelopseus wasp builds a nest of clay, shaped like a 

 pouch, two inches in length, and attaches it to a branch. It 

 forms the clay in little round pellets, kneading it with its 

 mandibles into a convenient shape, and humming cheerfully 

 while engaged in its work. On arriving with the ball of 

 moist clay it lays it on the edge of the cell, and then spreads 

 it out round the circular rim by means of the lower lip, 

 guided by the mandibles sitting astride while at work. On 

 finishing each addition it takes a turn round, patting the 

 sides with its feet inside and out, before flying off for a fresh 

 pellet. It feeds on small spiders, which it reduces to a half 

 dead state by its sting, thus to serve as food for its progeny. 



One bee, the Trypoxylon aurifrons, builds a nest of clay 

 like a squat round bottle or carafe ; generally in rows, one 

 beside the other, on a branch, or in the corners of a building. 



