SAND-WASP. 
391 
by the wasp in order to secure a provision for her 
future family, since she always lays her eggs in the 
dead body before she closes the grave. 
The common sand-wasp is found in Norfolk and 
Suffolk in sandy situations, and may be easily di- 
stinguished from the rest of the genus by the man- 
ner in which it carries its abdomen. This, accord- 
ing to Mr. Kirby, forms nearly a right angle with 
the thorax while the insect is flying. 
The different species of this genus are very savage 
in their manners, and will attack insects of a size 
much superior to themselves. In their combats 
they have a double advantage, being not only very 
strong, and armed with hard and sharp jaws, but 
having likewise a sting in the tail, through which 
they inject a poison that presently proves fatal to 
their wounded antagonist. They proceed to the 
attack with great ferocity, and, having inflicted a 
wound, retire to a distance and observe the effect of 
the poison ; which has no sooner killed the creature 
than they drag it to their nest for the use of the 
young. Their voracity equals their courage, and 
their daintiness, if we may believe others, exceeds 
both ; since they only eat the eyes, the small threads 
that serve as a brain, and a very little of the body. 
Thus fifty insects scarcely serve one of them for a 
meal, and the mangled remains are constantly to be 
seen about the mouth of their retreat. 
Their cells are cylindrical and formed of clay, about 
three inches long, and as thick as the little fino-er 
te> • 
They generally place them in a sheltered situation. 
