54 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Phutofiraph b\' Paul Griswold Houe^ 

 A YOUNG JUG-MAKER WASP GETS OUT OF THE "JUG" 



Weak and clumsy, it preens itself after crawling out of the urn-shaped earthen 

 cell through the large hole at the left (Plate II and page 65). The opening in 

 front is still sealed, just as the mother left it after she provisioned the nursery 

 with caterpillars and laid an egg, (Photograph greatly enlarged.) 



seizing it by the throat, lifts its head off 

 the ground and drags it along at a very 

 creditable pace — at least when the ground 

 is smooth and the way is unobstructed. 



From time to time the wasp carefully 

 parks the caterpillar and flies away, soon 

 coming back and taking up the load again. 

 These excursions are probably back to the 

 burrow to see that nothing is amiss and to 

 get her bearings. 



If all goes well, the caterpillar is finally 

 brought to the burrow, which is opened 

 and the victim placed inside. Sometimes a 

 single caterpillar is sufficient, but usually 



two or even more 

 are needed. If 

 more than one is 

 stored, the bur- 

 row is always 

 closed after each 

 is placed within 

 it. When the 

 store of caterpil- 

 lars is complete 

 and the egg is 

 laid, the burrow 

 is permanently 

 closed with the 

 greatest care. 



SOME WASPS USE 

 TOOLS 



Now comes the 

 most interesting 

 part of the whole 

 proceeding. The 

 wasp searches for 

 a little stone of 

 just the right size 

 and shape, and 

 with this held 

 firmly in her jaws 

 she pats the earth 

 down very care- 

 fully to obliterate 

 all traces of her 

 work. 



Some kinds of 

 digger wasps, in- 

 stead of using a 

 stone, sweep the 

 ground smooth 

 with a little stick 

 used as a broom. 

 Frequently a 

 dried leaf or a 

 pebble is placed 

 over the top of 

 the closed burrow, as if in memory of the 

 poor caterpillars interred below. Similar 

 artistic temperament is seen in many other 

 kinds of wasps (p. 51). It is noted also in 

 various birds which ornament their nests, 

 sometimes in bizarre fashion. 



The use of tools, however, is a different 

 matter. Except for certain members of the 

 wasp tribe, and the spinning ants,* which 

 are related to the wasps, no other living 

 things, unless taught, use tools but man. 



* See "Stalking .\nts. Savage and Civilized," by 

 W. M. Mann, in The N.^tional Geographic 

 Magazine, August, 1934. 



