ive of the probability of many of the actions of
insects that we ascribe to instinct being the result of the possession
of reasoning powers.

[Illustration: WASP AND HOLE IN THE SAND.]

A WASP AND ITS PREY

(FROM THE INSTINCTS AND HABITS OF THE SOLITARY WASPS.)[6]

BY G. W. AND E. G. PECKHAM.

[6] Reprinted by permission from Bulletin No. 2, Series I, of The
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, 1898.

[Illustration]

Most graceful and attractive of all the wasps--as Fabre describes
them, the Ammophiles, of all the inhabitants of the garden, hold the
first place in our affections. Not so beautiful as the blue
_Pelopaeus_ nor so industrious as the little red-girdled _Trypoxylon_,
their intelligence, their distinct individuality, and their obliging
tolerance of our society make them an unfailing source of interest.
They are, moreover, the most remarkable of all genera in their
stinging habits, and few things have given us deeper pleasure than
our success in following the activities and penetrating the secrets of
their lives. In our neighborhood we have but two species of
_Ammophila_, _urnaria_ Cresson and _gracilis_ Cresson, both of them
being very slender bodied wasps of about an inch in length, _gracilis_
all black, and _urnaria_ with a red band around the front end of the
abdomen. With two exceptions our observations relate to _urnaria_.

During the earlier part of the summer we had often seen these wasps
feeding upon the nectar of flowers, especially upon that of the sorrel
of which they are particularly fond, but at that time we gave them but
passing notice. One bright morning in the middle of July, however, we
came upon one that was so evidently hunting, and hunting in earnest,
that we gave up everything else to follow her. The ground was covered,
more or less thickly, with patches of purslane, and it was under these
weeds that our _Ammophila_ was eagerly searching for her prey. After
thoroughly investigating one plant she would pass to another, running
three or four steps and then bounding as though she were made of
thistledown and were too light to remain upon the ground. We followed
her easily, and as she was in full view nearly all of the time we had
every hope of witnessing the capture, but in this we were destined to
disappointment. We had been in attendance on her for about a quarter
of an hour when, after disappearing for a few moments under the thick
purslane leaves, she came ou