OF WASHINGTON. 81 



People on porches were not infrequently stung by them, and 

 constant precautions had to be taken to prevent their gaining 

 access to dining-rooms. In houses of the poorer sort unpro 

 vided with screens, these wasps, on account of their numbers 

 and pugnacious disposition, rendered the meal-taking a pro 

 ceeding of positive danger. 



In the woods they were observed running over foliage, which 

 they appeared to examine carefully, doubtless in search of 

 larvae and spiders. None were observed to seize insects of 

 any sort, however, and they were further repeatedly seen to 

 pass with utter indifference colonies of aphids. 



I discovered a number of the nests of these insects myself, 

 and was directed to a considerable number by woodmen and 

 others. All of these belonged to V. germanica with the ex 

 ception of one underground nest of V. cuneata, found late in 

 the season. 



The nests of V. germanica may be classified as (i) above 

 ground ; (2) in or beneath stumps or stones ; and (3) in excava 

 tions in open ground. The latter form greatly predominated. 

 Contrary to the habits of closely-related European species the 

 yellow-jackets of this country build almost exclusively in the 

 ground and rarely, if ever, attach their nests to trees or stumps. 

 One of the nests brought to my attention was said to have 

 been originally attached to a stump a few inches above the 

 ground, but had been disturbed and broken up and a new nest 

 had been formed in the base of the stump. A number of nests 

 were found beneath stones and stumps, but no preference 

 seemed to be shown for such protected situations as the ma 

 jority were, as stated, in open ground. 



These nests consisted of spherical excavations of a capacity 

 of from one peck to half a bushel or more, and reached within 

 an inch or two of the surface of the ground. Access to the 

 nest is gained by a single (rarely two) circular or oval opening 

 about y inch in diameter, which, in open-ground nests, leads 

 directly from the centre of the nest. The nest itself is too w r ell 

 known to require minute description. Briefly, it consists of a 

 loose outer papery covering, which must furnish very slight 

 protection, and does not compare at all with the tough, firm 

 outer covering of the tree-nests of the larger Vespas, as that of 

 V. maculata. Within this are four to eight horizontal stories 

 or tiers of combs attached to each other by strong supports. 

 In the larger nests opened these combs had a maximum 

 diameter of twelve inches, and there were as many as eight 

 tiers. 



The life-cycle, also well known, is briefly as follows : The 

 fully developed females and the males are produced in special 



