1911] Girault, Observations on Polistes. 59 



it was 3.1 mm. in diameter. The queen left the nest again at 6:51 a. 

 m., returning - at 7 :01 a. m. with another smaller food morsel. This 

 she fed to the larvae and then left again at 7 :08 a. m., returning- at 

 7:29. apparently with a small amount of food. Abroad ag-ain at 7:32 

 a. m., returning at 8 :36 ; again at 8 :41, coming- back at 8 :56 with food ; 

 at S :59, returning with a large morsel of food (3.3 mm.) at 9:24, 

 which was prepared and offered in the usual way ; it was given to the 

 largest larvae only. At 9 :43 she left again, returning with food at 

 10:07y 2 . After feeding this, and as usual cleaning herself, she went 

 abroad at 10:10, reappearing at 10:38 with a very large food morsel- 

 apparently the flesh of some green caterpillar, as usual already 

 macerated to some extent; this ball of food measured about 3.75 mm. 

 and was heavy enough to interfere seriously with her flight, caxising 

 her to miss the nest for the first time since her movements have been 

 observed. This was fed to the larvae, after which the nest was 

 explored and its security tested (apparently)) by a peculiar scraping 

 movement of the abdomen, done while the female is on top of the 

 nest; clinging with her feet, she switched the abdomen several times 

 rapidly over the top of the nest, a movement previously observed, 

 before any of the eggs had hatched. Then abroad at 11 :20 a. m., 

 returning at 11 :32y z with building material. Day clear and warm; 

 cool early morning, clouding at 8 a. m. 



June 10: — The mother wasp left the nest later this morning than 

 usual (9 o'clock). One of the larvae began to cap its cell at 11 a. m. 

 (larva No. 1). Egg in cell No. 11 deposited at 2:30 p. m., May 23, 

 hatched at noon, June 8 ; that in cell No. 12, deposited at noon, May 

 26, hatched at 11 p. m.. June 9; and that in cell No. 13, deposited on 

 June 3, hatched on June 14, showing gradually decreasing egg-stages. 

 Two new cells (14 and 15) were commenced about noon today. The 

 wasp was observed to return to the nest at 5:15 p. m.. carrying a 

 morsel of food. Cloudy early a. m. ; afterwards fair and warm. 



June 11 : — The mother wasp remained on the nest, mostly inactive, 

 occasionally inspecting it, until 8:50 a. m., when she went abroad, 

 returning with food for the larvae at 8:58 a. m. During this whole 

 forenoon she was constantly busy about the nest, running over the cells 

 and feeding the larvae. Also the fourteenth and fifteenth cells were 

 slightly lengthened and at 1 :35 p. m. the petiole of the nest was being 

 strengthened. At 5 p. m. an egg was deposited below the mouth of 

 the fourteenth cell, which adjoins the fifteenth. Day clear and warm. 



