How Animals Work. 



pleted. Upon coming back two hours later, however, 

 we found that she had been trying some new improve- 

 ments, as a number of little pellets had been piled up 

 over the nest." 



After much watching and many disappointments 

 the Peckhams were at last rewarded in seeing the 

 Ammophila capture her prey. " The wasp attacked 

 at once, but was rudely repulsed, the caterpillar roll- 

 ing and unrolling itself rapidly and with most violent 

 contortions of the whole body. Again and again its 

 adversary descended, but failed to gain a hold. The 

 caterpillar, in its struggles, flung itself here and there 

 over the ground, and had there been any grass or other 

 covering near by it might have reached a place of 

 partial safety ; but there was no shelter within reach, 

 and at the fifth attack the wasp succeeded in alighting 

 over it. near the anterior end, and in grasping its body 

 firmly in her mandibles. Standing high on her long 

 legs and disregarding the struggles of her victim, she 

 lifted it from the ground, curved the end of her abdo- 

 men under its body, and darted her sting between the 

 third and fourth segments. From this instant there 

 was a complete cessation of movement on the part of 

 the unfortunate caterpillar. For some moments the 

 wasp remained motionless, and then, withdrawing her 

 sting, she plunged it successively between the third 

 and the second, and between the second and first 

 segments. The caterpillar was now left lying on the 

 ground. For a moment the wasp circled above it, 

 and then, descending, seized it again, farther back this 

 time, and with great deliberation and nicety of action 

 gave it four more stings, beginning between the ninth 



96 



