Wasps and their ways . THE MINERS 299 Many of the fossorial wasps are verysuspicious, and it requires patience to getnear enough to watch one at its work ofnectar-gathering. It cocks its head onone side, glances at the intruder, and in aflash is off. Sometimes, however, the large waspsresent intrusion, as one once did on theedge of a meadow. It was sitting on awillow leaf and did not careto be disturbed. Instead offlying away it reared itselfup on its tail, opened itsjaws and apparently invited-^^?^its visitor to touch me if ^you dare. Its visitor did not dare, hav-ing no net along; and probab
Wasps and their ways . THE MINERS 299 Many of the fossorial wasps are verysuspicious, and it requires patience to getnear enough to watch one at its work ofnectar-gathering. It cocks its head onone side, glances at the intruder, and in aflash is off. Sometimes, however, the large waspsresent intrusion, as one once did on theedge of a meadow. It was sitting on awillow leaf and did not careto be disturbed. Instead offlying away it reared itselfup on its tail, opened itsjaws and apparently invited-^^?^its visitor to touch me if ^you dare. Its visitor did not dare, hav-ing no net along; and probably nobodywould have enjoyed interfering with anenormous black wasp that reared up onend and looked as that one did. Wasps dig many holes, but finish seem to have very strict ideas as towhat a burrow should be, and often start. 300 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS half a dozen before the earth is just rightto their critical judgment. One watching the many fruitless at-tempts of the countless numbers of waspswinging their way over the earth in thelatter part of the summer cannot butimagine the value of these little earth-openers to the soil. Their countless un-finished burrows in the hard earth, as wellas their finished ones, let in air and water;the water settles to still deeper parts, andlater freezing breaks up the hardened soilto an extent out of all proportion to thework of the little digger. No doubt tothe wasp we owe in part the fertility ofthe face of the earth. Although at times such hard workers,wasps appear to waste a great deal of timefussing about. Small black Sphex wasps were oftenwatched flying along the carriage road upand down, up and down, alighting everymoment and running along as though they THE MINERS 301 had lost something they needed very badlybut could not find. They were doubtless looking for pla
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