Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-08-06
How the Digger-Wasps make
Their homes.

July had come again, a.sd brought
with it such warm, sultry days that
it almost seemed as if no living crea'
lure could stir abroad. Neve::he-
less. there Was a wonderful deal 60
ing on in om garden. Through the
air and over the flower beds FASTENED
hundreds Of little people Some
lived in the trees and bushes, Others
in the ground, and all were hard al
work.
One morning, especially, there
seemed to be something unusual go
ing on ; he buzzing, and humming
was fairly deaiening.
Whirr-r-r WhjTr-r-rl What
was the great creature that darted
past my face? And here came anoth-
er, and another why, the garden va,
full of them
Big brown-aud>yellow wasps these
strangers were, and all in a most
desperate hurry. Scores of them
were already hard at work digging
away in the firmly packed sand Of
the path.
As these new Corners seemed TO
care very little who watched them at
their work, | sat down on an upturred
hower-pot IN the shade Of friendly
lilac, determined to make their ac-
quaintauce.
Hardly had l settled myself before
one Of the wasps approached, She
seemed searching ior something, for
she few rapidly back and forth, now
alighting for moment now darLing
away again. At last she dropped
upon the ground close to me and
began to bite the earth with her
strong jaws. When q2ite little
heap lay before her she pushed it 70
one side with her hind feet ard then
returned to her digging. In five
minutes she had an opening big
enough to get into every time she
appeared she backed up out Of it
pushing a huge load Of sand as big
as herself behind her. Soon all
around the hole was a high bank of
earth, and she found it necessary TO
make path across it, and pushed
her loads over that Two hours hard
work, and the house was finished
Il was very simply planned, and had
only one room down at the end of
long, narrow passage.
PA =. l. - fIs- l1Ftlo
ture had done more work in the two
hours than 4 man could do in a day.
That is, Of course, taking her size
into consideration, And she did not
even now stop to rest. Not she /!
With one last look into the house. to
make sure Sue was leaving all as it
should be, she few away. In = mo-
ment her strong wings had taken her
quite out of sight but it was not long
before she re>appedred. Back and
forth she fastened, at one moment
flying through the grape-arbor, at
the next wheeling above the cabbage
bed. All this time the object Of her
search, a fat young locust, was quiet\
ly sitting on a gate-post quite foT-
getting, as even loCusts sometimes
will. that he had an enemy in the
world.
A moment later and wasp's sharp
eyes had found him out; and then,
quick as lightning, she darted down
upon him, and pierced him with her
sting. When the locust lay perfectly
still, the wasp seized him and few
off. Arrived at her hole she tum-
bled him head foremost in at the |
door, expecting him. Of course, to !
fall quite to the bottom. Bat her
calculations had been slightly at !
fault; the locust was too fat to 60 in,
and there he stuck with his head and .
shoulders in the hole and his body in |
the air. Here was a dilemma But /
my wasp friend was evidently not one
TO be overcome by. difficulties Of this |
sort She flew off again, and this /
time returned with two other wasps
they crowded round the hole. and /,
began digging away the earth which !
pressed close about the loo St. In a |
short time they seemed satisfied, for
they stood up and pushed at the OBJ
ject of their tolls. Slowly he slid /
down out of sight, and she who had
brought him hurried after. She laid
an egg clese to him in her house.
then, hIrrying up, BEGAN to carry
back the earth she had before taken
out. and in a short time the door was
securely closed. Then she scraped
away, and patted down all the loose
earth, till she had made it quite i'm
possible for any evil-minded creature
to find any traces of her home.
The wasp knew very well that her
egg would soon hatch out that the
little white grub, her chick. would ct
once begin to feed upon the locust,
which would supply food till the
young orc was full>grown.-E. Il. E.
81. NicholaS for august.