1911] Girault, Observations on Polistes. 57 



Looking directly into a cell containing a half-grown larva, the 

 sensitive head is seen, the sensitive mouth working. If the point of a 

 needle is allowed to touch the mouth lightly, a bubble or small drop 

 of a clear, odorless fluid is excreted. 



The cells are perfectly clean. Each of the larvae of this nest were 

 fed at 8:15 a. m. (June 7), by holding a small portion of well-ripened 

 orange in a pair of forceps, the fruit being brought in turn against 

 the mouth of each larva, all feeding from it as it was presented to 

 them. 



Later, these larv;B were fed similarly on small bits of crushed 

 caterpillars. They remind one of hungry nestlings and it is surprising 

 to see what large quantities they can ingest. One of them for instance 

 swallowed the whole body — minus head — of a crushed Mineola larva, 

 which if pulled upon during the last of the process of swallowing 

 came out whole, showing that the flesh was but little chewed before 

 ingested. On June S the larva? were fed at 7 a. m., 2 p. m. and .~> 

 p. m., but afterwards irregularly, usually once in the morning and 

 once in the afternoon. On the morning of June 9, it was found that 

 another egg had hatched, almost imperceptibly, no swelling occurring 

 until the larva was fed. The hatched larva is difficult to distinguish 

 from the egg, being of about the same size, shape and color: it is 

 firmly attached to the cell, apparently at the same place where the 

 egg was attached ; portions of the egg-shell remaining standing after 

 hatching, erect, uneven and membraneous. The hatched egg was in 

 the smallest, outside cell, which was not half as long as any of the 

 others. The larva was left unfed and died within four days (noon, 

 June 10, 1909). 



June 7: — The female was on her nest at 7 a. m. She left for 

 abroad for the first time at 7 :31 to 7 :45 a. m. and again. 7 :56 to 8 :02 

 a. m., bringing material for the purpose of enlarging the cells. The 

 latter are now very uneven, shadowing the uneven development of the 

 larvse. For the same purpose she left again at 8 :24 to 8 :30 a. m. 

 Then she remained home for an hour or more, leaving for nearly the 

 same period of time, returning at 10:12 a. m., with a large morsel of 

 macerated' flesh (4 mm.). After chewing this for about four and 

 one-half minutes, holding it between the fore legs, she took the 

 morsel in her mandibles, placed her head within a cell and touching 

 the larva with her extended antenna?, placed the morsel before its 

 mouth; the lama also reached forward and its mouth quickly en- 



