HABIT-FOBMATION IN A WASP {VEST? A SP.). 



283 



Leaening of Wasp. 



(The times are given in seconds.) 

 Days. 



Trials. 



1 



2 



3 



4 



5 



6 



7 



8 



9 



10 

 11 

 12 

 13 

 14 

 15 

 16 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 20 



About 600 



48 



Broke plug 



25 



About 240 



2 



368 



o 

 O 



66 



15 



26 



16 



21 



10 



20 



27 



7 



4 



16 



9 



— 



16 



— 



7 



— 



1* 



10 

 2 

 14- 



4. 

 3 



22 



10 



2 



2 



3 



n 



O 



1* 



2 

 13 

 36 



7 

 2 



8. 



9 



7 



27 



6 



2 



her departure from the nest), in walking over and digging at the 

 plug, and in high-speed random nights along the face of the 

 clay to right and left for a distance of about 200 cm. each way. 

 At the last of these she passed closely across the entrance to the 

 rabbit-burrow, alighted, and walked in to the nest. In the 

 preceding random movements the Wasp passed the burrow at a 

 distance of about 30 cm., and gave no sign of a positive reaction 

 to the nest. In the random flights of succeeding trials, before 

 the new motor-habit was properly formed, she passed the burrow 

 at a similar distance without giving an obvious sign of reaction 

 to the nest, so that she reacted positively at a distance of 40 to 

 50 cm., but not at 70 cm., to a nest which was visible to the 

 human eye at a distance of at least 300 cm. 



As a result of the first experience, high-speed random flight, or 



