In, t Stua 433 



layers which car. be easily seen by examining the outside of the nest. 

 -e layers may be of dirferent colors. A wasp will come .erload 



of paper pulp, and using her jaws and fron: feet for tools she will join a 

 strip to the edge of the paper and pat it into shape. The paper tc..rs more 

 :ly along the lini - : .:e joining, than across. The cover of the nest 

 is made of many layers of shell-like pieces fastened together and the c . r 

 layers are waterproof; the opening of a nest is at the bottom. Mr. Lub- 

 bock has shown that certain wasps are stationed at the door, as sent:::-.-'.-. 

 to give warning on the approach of the enemy. The number of stories of 

 combs in a nest depends upon the age and size of the colony. Thev are 

 listened together firmly near the center, by a central core or axis of very 

 strong, firm paper, which at the top is attached to a branch or what, 

 supports the nest. The cells all open downward, in this respect differing 

 from those of jhe honey-bee, which are usually placed horizontal. The 

 wasp-comb dillers from the honey -comb in that it is made of paper instead 

 of wax, and that the rows of cells are single ins a :f double. The cells 

 in the wasp-comb are not for storing honey, but are simply the cradles for 

 the young wasps. See Fig. p, 457.) 



.- :netimes a wasp far -:er makes it possible for us to examine 



one of these nests with its inmates. Here we find in some of the cells, the 

 long white eggs fastened t'- ry bottom of the cell, in an inner angle, 



as .: a larva when hatched needed to have a cozy corner. Thes 

 larvae are the chubbiest little grubs imaginable and are - ft bodied. 



'. as once a mystery to me how they were able to hang in the cells, head 

 down, without getting . : I le lace" or falling out; but this was 

 made plain by studying the little dibk at the rear end of the larva's t . 

 which is decidedly sticky; after a larva is de. its heavy body can be 

 lined by pressing a match again-- I g Hsk: thus it evidently suffices I : 

 keep the baby wasp s:\: k fast -cradle. The larva's body is mostly 



covered with a white, papery. - ft -keletou skin ; the head is yellowish and 

 highly polished, looking like a drop of honey. At one side may be seen a 

 pair of toothed jaws, showing that it is able to take and chev.- any food 

 brought by the nurs - They see::i to be well trained youn^ si rs for they 

 all face toward the center of the nesl - that a nurse, when feeding them, 

 can move from one to another without having to pass to the other side of 

 the cell. It is a funny sight to behold a combful of well grown larvae, each 

 fitting in its cell like meal in a bag and with head and several segn: 

 projecting ou: .-.s if the bag were overflowing. It behooves the wasp 

 larva to get its head as far out of the cell as possible, so that it will not be 

 overlooked by the nv rs the little ones do this by holding themselves at 

 the angle of the cell ; this they accomplish by wedging the back into the 

 corner. These young larva? do not face inwards like the older ones, but 

 the}- rest in an inner angle of the cell. 



After a larva has reached the limit of its cell room, it spins a veil 

 around itself and fa-- - Lt at the sides, so that it forms a lining to the 

 upper part cf the cell and makes a bag over the "head and shoulders : 

 the insect. This cocoon is very tough, and beneath its loose dome the 

 larva skin is shed: the pupa takes on a decidedly v - - form, except 

 that the color is all black: the legs and the wings are folded pi' -". y "own 

 the breast and the antennae lie meekly each side of the face, with the 

 "hands" folded outside of them: the strong toothed jaws are ret 

 that when the pupa skin is molted, the insect can cut its silken curtain, 

 and come out into its little nest world, as a full-fledged yellow-jack 



