Transactions Texas Academy of Science. 
65 
by returning each time to the same spot, moistened by the previous 
visit, for each successive load. 
A considerable number of dirt-dauber’s nests were thus occupied 
by the new tenants. Owing to the lateness of the season many 
contained pupas waiting in their clean white cocoons for the ad- 
vent of spring. Of the five spiders examined one remained in 
possession of all its appendages, one had the left hind one cut off, 
another had missing three hind legs on the right side, a fourth had 
only its front pair left and a fifth had lost all its legs. All the 
spiders were Attids of the same species. 
In each of the above cases of spiders deprived of legs, death had 
ensued even before the storing of the victim. I have, however, 
found mud cells containing mutilated spiders that were very much 
alive when found. In the spring of 1903, I found under the bark 
of an elm, a single cylindrical mud cell containing a young leg- 
less Attid that snugly filled the cell. This spider was alive and 
remained alive for at least a week. On October 21st, I found 
two cells under a stone, one of which contained a Clubionid, that 
lacked the hind pair of legs and the two anterior ones on the right 
side. It was not only alive, but would cling to a pencil held close 
to it and would bite at it. The spider remained alive until the 
larva began feeding. The egg was attached to the right side of 
the abdomen near the pedicil and there the larva on hatching at- 
tached itself and began eating. The pupa was spun November 
5th. 
The amputation habits of Agenia are interesting not only be- 
cause of the rareness of the habit among wasps, but because it 
seemed to have developed in this genus as the regular method of 
procedure. 
