VESPARLE. 151 



Westwood states that the larva?, which live head-downward 

 from the reversed position of the comb, retain their position in 

 the cell, while young, by a glutinous secretion, and afterwards 

 "by the swollen front of the bod}" which fills the open part of 

 the cell." "The female cells are mostly placed apart from 

 those of the males and neuters, those of the males being often 

 mixed, but in a small number, in the neuter combs. The egg 

 state lasts eight days, the larva state thirteen or fourteen, and 

 that of the pupa about ten. After the imago has been produced, 

 one of the old workers cleans out the cell, and fits it for the 

 reception of a fresh inhabitant. The upper tier of cells, being 

 first built, serves for the habitation of the workers ; the females, 

 being produced at the end of the summer, occupy the lowest 

 tiers." When about to transform the larvae spin a thin cover- 

 ing, thus closing over the cell. 



In Polistes the paraglossse are slender, and a little longer 

 than the long, or as in one instance noticed by us in P. C<nm- 

 densis, barrel-shaped ligula, which is split at the end ; the palpi 

 are stouter, while the whole body is much longer than in Vespa ; 

 the abdomen is subpedunculate, and the thorax is rather ob- 

 long than spherical, as in Vespa. 



The larva differs from that of Vespa in its much larger head, 

 and shorter, more ovoid form of the body, which is dilated in 

 front so as to retain the insect in its cell, while the tip is 

 more acute ; the antenna! tubercles are closer together ; the 

 clypeus is more regularly triangular and more distinct, while 

 the labrum is much larger and excessively swollen, as are the 

 mouth-parts generally. The mandibles are bidentate, where in 

 Vespa they are tridentate. The pupa differs from that of Vespn , 

 besides the usual generic characters, in having the tubercle on 

 the head smaller. 



The nests of Polistes (Plate 5, Fig. 4, nest of P. uiiinilnrix 

 Fabr., from Saussure) are not covered in by a papery wall as in 

 Vespa, but may be found attached to bushes, with the mouth 

 of the cells pointed downwards. While at Burksville Junction, 

 Va., in the last week of April, I had an opportunity of watch- 

 ing three species beginning their cells on the same clump of 

 bushes. They all worked in the same method, and the cells 

 only differed slightly in size. The cells were formed mostly of 



