SPHKX. 237 
liUcy. How high is this filigree 
tower ? 
Mother. Sometimes three inches : hut 
the height depends on the dimensions 
of the hole. The sphex works with such 
industry, that in a very few hours she 
makes an excavation of nearly three 
inches in depth, and raises a tower of 
equal height. 
Lucy, And does she live inside of 
this tower ? 
Mother. As soon as the hole is made 
the sphex lays an egg at the hottom. 
She then seizes on a caterpillar, which, 
though much larger than herself, she 
drags to the nest, and places it over the 
Q^^i on the caterpillar she rolls down 
one of the uppermost halls, and, scraping 
some sand upon it with her feet, she fills 
up all the chinks. She often goes down 
into the hole, and seems as if she was 
heating the hottom smooth with her 
feet. A second e^^ is afterwards placed, 
and provided with food in the same 
manner as the first. Thus she deposits 
