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FIRST LESSONS IN ZOOLOGY 



the "wasp always backs upward out of it and while digging 

 keeps up a low humming sound. After the tunnel is dug 

 about three inches deep she covers up the mouth with a 

 bit of salt crust or little pebbles, and flies away. After 

 some minutes she comes back carrying a limp inch-worm 

 about an inch long, which she drags down into the nest 

 (fig. 142). Awa)' she goes again and soon returns with 

 another inch-worm ; repeating the process until from five 



Fig. 146. — Imni;rture stages of the quince ciirculio, Conotrachelus cratngi ; 

 at the left, the larva natural size and enlarged; at the right, the pupa. 

 The beetle lays its eggs in pits on quinces, and the larva lives inside 

 the quince as a grub; the pupa lives in the ground. (Photograph by 

 M. V. Slingerland.) 



to ten caterpillars have been stored in the tunnel. All 

 these are alive, but each has been stung in one of its 

 nerve-centers (ganglia) so that it is paralyzed. Finally, 

 down goes the mother Ammophila and lays a single &gg, 

 attaching it to one of the paralyzed caterpillars. She 

 then fills the tunnel with pellets of earth, carefully chew- 

 ing up the larger pieces so as to make a close, well- 

 packed filling (fig. 143). Lastl)', she carefully smooths 

 off the surface and puts a small flat piece of salt crust on 



