458 PENSILE NEST OF A BRITISH WASP. 



Art. VII. — Notes on the Pensile Nests of British Wasps. By W. 

 E Shuckard, Esq., Librarian to the Royal Society, V.P.E.S., &c. 



At the last meeting of the Entomological Society Mr. Barraud 

 exhibited the small nest of a wasp, which had been found 

 near Croydon, built in a sparrow's nest, and attached to the 

 feathers within it. The smallness of the nest, and of the tier 

 of cells, as well as the peculiar material of which it appeared 

 composed, led to a discussion, the tendency of which seemed 

 to support the opinion that it was most probably the nest of 

 Polistes, — a social wasp not yet found in this country ; but 

 if not of Polistes, yet certainly of some new species not yet 

 determined or known. Feeling curious about it, I obtained 

 the nest to examine, and the following is the result of my in- 

 spection of it. 



The nest consists of three shells, with a space about a 

 line wide between each, viz., the rudiments of a basal ex- 

 ternal one, commenced in a spiral direction, the widest por- 

 tion of which is about half an inch only. The enveloping 

 one, which gives the form to the nest, and is ovate, about an 

 inch and a half long, and an inch broad at its widest diame- 

 ter, and has a circular aperture at its apex, rather more than 

 4 of an inch across. Within this case, at the base, there is 

 the commencement of another spiral one, which at its widest 

 part laps laterally, scarcely farther than the base of the cells ; 

 and within this, in the centre, is placed the tier of cells, ori- 

 ginating from a common pedicle, consequently, as usual, the 

 central ones are the most advanced in structure : altogether 

 there are fifteen perfect hexagons, the central ones being 

 nearly four lines deep, and all a little more than two lines in 

 diameter. 



The nest appears to be constructed of the agglutinated par- 

 ticles of a soft white wood, probably willow, very imperfectly 

 triturated, which gives it externally a rough granulated ap- 

 pearance. It is sprinkled with black specks, arising perhaps 

 from the intermixture of more decayed portions of the wood, 

 and is of a very fragile texture. 



The nature of the material, and its unfinished execution, 

 as well as the situation in which it was found, appear to me 

 to be its only peculiarities, and I must necessarily consider it 

 merely an accidental deviation in material and locality from 

 the usual nests of the Vespa Britannica of Leach, one of 

 which is in my possession, and differs only in the following 

 particulars. I must, however, premise, that I am sure of the 



