Wonders of Insect Architecture. 



and tenth segments and progressing backwards." 

 Having thus captured her prey, the Ammophila flies 

 off with it to the nest. On arriving there she at once 

 proceeds to remove the pellets of earth with which she 

 had so closely masked the entrance, and then picking 

 up the caterpillar brings it to the mouth of the burrow 

 and lays it down. Then, backing in herself, she seizes 

 it in her mandibles and drags it down out of sight. 



The nest provisioned, and the egg deposited upon 

 the inanimate form of the caterpillar, Ammophila now 

 proceeds to close the nest and to most carefully ob- 

 literate all traces of the entrance. " In filling up her 

 nest she put her head down into it and bit away the 

 loose earth from the sides, letting it fall to the bottom 

 of the burrow, and then, after a quantity had accu- 

 mulated, jammed it down with her head. Earth was 

 then brought from the outside and pressed in, and then 

 more was bitten from the sides. When at last the 

 filling was level with the ground, she brought a quantity 

 of fine grains of dirt to the spot, and picking up a small 

 pebble in her mandibles, used it as a hammer in pound- 

 ing them down with rapid strokes, thus making this 

 spot as hard and firm as the surrounding surface. Be- 

 fore we could recover from our astonishment at this 

 performance she had dropped her stone and was bring- 

 ing more earth. Once more the whole process was 

 repeated, and then the little creature, all unconscious 

 of the commotion she had aroused in our minds, gave 

 one final, comprehensive glance around and flew 

 away." 



A pretty little Solitary Wasp that may sometimes 

 be seen in large numbers flitting about the face of a 



(1,910) G 



