88 
I was able to study another Macromeris nest over a period of 
some weeks. On February 18, 1917, two nests were located 
higher up on the slopes of Makiling ; one was hopelessly hidden 
far within a hollow tree, but the “second was quite accessible, 
placed as it was in the stump of a deformed old tree, open above. 
Under the overhang within this hollowed top and concealed from 
view mainly by a few vines, was an angry wasp and her Wee 
celled nest. Two of these cells were closed. At 11:15 a. 1 
March 2, there were four cells, while the wasp, with a load, ws 
cement in her mouth, appeared to be contemplating a fifth; this 
was practically completed two days later at 5:30 p.m. Next day 
there were two wasps about the cells, and though they did not 
really quarrel, their attitude towards one another was very war- 
like. At 1:40 p. m., March /th, I heard a patter and buzz above 
me, and looking upwards, Macromeris came into view on the 
trunk over her dwelling. She was heavily laden with a big 
spider, with which she had leaped, evidently, from the higher 
branch of a neighboring tree to her present position. She carried 
the spider c losely pressed beneath her, underside upwards ( Fig. 
38), grasping it by the two papillae-like processes near the hind 
end of the body. The victim was quite large, apparently full of 
eggs, and had been stung into insensibility. Much heavier than 
its captor, it was depriv ed of its four pairs of walking legs 
Macromeris lost no time in stowing her prize in a cell, first insert- 
ing therein the spider’s abdomen so that the creature would face 
out. Then the wasp set to work examining her prey; at this 
juncture I broke off the cell, but let it lie, its base now open, in 
the near bottom of the tree hollow. Here, a few “small ants 
promptly invaded the cell; this was soon discovered by Macro- 
meris, who became greatly enraged thereat. Buzzing in loud 
anger, her wings widely spread, ‘she grasped the spider by the 
cephalo- thorax ‘and jerked it violently out of the loosened cell. 
This freed it of the ants and she dragged the carcass up the 
hollow, while I cleaned out the cell and plugged up the opened 
base with cotton and wedged it among the upper cells. Macromeris 
soon stored the spider once more, but she objected much to the 
protruding cotton and made repeated pulls and digs at it, so that 
the cell became loosened again and all went tumbling down into 
the hollow. But the wasp clung angrily to the cell and could 
not be driven away, and threatened to climb up my forceps. 
I finally took the cell outside the hollow; at this she was greatly 
perplexed and hunted for it even on the ground about the base of 
the treex In order to replace theicell: winch I did more firmly, 
I was obliged to imprison the warlike insect. Upon being re- 
leased shortly afterwards the wasp went directly to her cell. The 
