SOME LARGE MEMBERS OF THE WASP FAMILY. 495 



rival females of the same species. For I am compelled, in order to tell the 

 whole truth, that honesty is not a cardinal virtue of the Wasp family. If one of 

 those females, in search of provisions for her future progeny, should discover a 

 nest already provisioned, she would eagerly seize such stores as her own lawful 

 prize. Hence they use great caution not to leave a trace of their work to mark 

 the spot where their treasures lie buried. 



While stopping in Pueblo, Colorado, during last August, I was one day 

 standing under a tree just across the railroad from the Santa Fd Company's 

 roundhouse, and a few rods west of the gas works, then in process of erection, 

 when I suddenly heard, just over jny head, a lively fluttering and drumming of a 

 large Cicada. A moment later it fell to the ground only a few feet from the spot 

 where I stood. On closer observation I discovered that it was in the clutches of 

 a Sfizus, and though employing its comparatively enormous strength, it was un- 

 able to shake off its enemy. No sooner had the wasp secured a firm hold on its 

 prey with its second and third pairs of feet than it began to ascend the tree, partly 

 by flying and partly by climbing with its first pair of feet. When it had ascended 

 to the height of about ten feet it stopped and pierced its victim with its sting. In 

 a minute or so the Cicada ceased all its struggles and became perfectly quiet. 

 The Wasp now took a firm hold on it and started for its nest. Though its load 

 must have weighed twice as much as itself the Wasp made a steady though slow 

 flight, gradually rising till it passed over the roundhouse and disappeared from 

 my sight. 



A few weeks after the above occurence, while stopping at La Junta, Colora- 

 do, I was told that the Texas Tarantula was quite common in that vicinity. Sev- 

 eral were caught while I was there, and I identified them as the real Mygale 

 Hentzii. One man stated as a strange fact that he had seen a large Wasp pur- 

 sue one of these large spiders into its hole and drag it out and carry it off. From 

 his description I was satisfied that it was the Pepsis {Pompilus) formosa, Say, or 

 Tarantula killer. Not one of thirty or forty men at work there seemed to be 

 aware that the Tarantula had such an enemy. A day or two after that, while 

 with some men at work removing some timbers, a Tarantula was killed. A few 

 moments afterward a large wasp was seen flying around. I called attention to 

 the fact that it was probably attracted by the odor of the Tarantula just killed. 

 All watched with eager interest till, after circling around several times, it settled 

 upon the the dead body of the Tarantula. After a very close scrutiny of that 

 animal the Wasp left it and after soaring a few times around the spot it flew away. 

 It seemed that its instinct taught it that an animal killed as that one had been 

 would be subject to putrefaction and decay if placed in the nest with an egg, and 

 thus bring death instead of life to its off-spring. This was a true Tarantula Kill- 

 er that provisions its nest with this gigantic spider. It is said that this Wasp will 

 pursue its prey with the precision and perseverance of a trail-hound ; it will fly 

 along a few inches from the surface of the ground, following up the trail along 

 which the Tarantula has passed an hour or more before. When it sights its prey 

 it begins to fly in circles around it, drawing nearer at each revolution till it makes 



