Social Insects. 21 



ports by strong pillars of the same papier mache material, but of 

 darker color and firmer texture. 



The combs of these paper wasps and hornets are not double, as 

 in the case of the Hive Bee, and the cells, which are less perfectly 

 hexagonal, have the mouth beneath and are in horizontal instead 

 of vertical layers. They differ from the cells of bees, also, in 

 that they are used solely in the reception of the larvae and, ex 

 cept in some tropical species,* not for the storage of honey or 

 pollen. The nests of wasps vary greatly in the different species, 

 and find their greatest perfection in the card-making species of 

 Cayenne (Chartergus nidulans) the outer covering of which is 

 nearly white and as tough as the stoutest card-board. 



The life-history is very interesting. Perfect females or queens 

 and males are produced in the autumn, in cells of large size, and 

 in the case of the hornets proper, these are developed in the low 

 est and last constructed of the cells. The males and the workers 

 or imperfect females, perish at approach of winter, while some 

 of the fertile females hibernate in sheltered situations. These, 

 in the following spring, originate new colonies, and may be seen 

 about early spring flowers, which they frequent for honey, but 

 more particularly to prey upon other insects attracted to the 

 blossoms. Singly and unaided they originate the new colony, 

 building cell after cell, supplying each with an egg, and persist 

 ently bringing home food for the growing young. All these cells 

 in the early season produce neuters or working females only. 

 These, as soon as developed, assist the hibernated mother or 

 queen in the enlargment of the nest and the care of the young. 

 She, after having once started her colony, rarely leaves it, but 

 remains and devotes herself solely to the duty of egg-laying. 

 The workers become by far the most numerous, and by late sum 

 mer are everywhere found moving actively about in search of 

 food for the home brood. They are less than half the size of the 

 perfect females, and considerably smaller than the males, which 

 are easily distinguished by their more slender bodies and very 

 long antennae. The males are not mere idlers, as in the case of 

 the bees, but occupy themselves with various labors about the 

 nest, and while the male bee is in the end ruthlessly destroyed 



*St. Fargeau states that he has oiten, in Polistes gallica, found cells filled 

 with honey. 



