1911] Girault, Observations on Polistes. 61 



over the grass beneath the nest in a manner suggesting- weakness and 

 unhealth.* She continued thus through the day. At 5 p. m. she was 

 induced to crawl upon a twig and by this means was transferred to 

 the top of the nest. She appeared to recognize the nest at once and 

 almost immediately she placed her head and antenna? into the first 

 open cell in front of her and sensed the interior, afterward proceed- 

 ing to the other cells. A quarter of an hour later she was visiting 

 the larvae feeding- them (apparently) in the manner mentioned under 

 date of June 17, namely by regurgitation. After reaching the nest 

 her manner changed visibly — from passiveness to activity and inter- 

 estedness — and an approach to the nest on the part of the observer 

 would incite an attitude of defense. Thus, after a very short period 

 of time, apparently, she had completely recovered her normal con- 

 dition. She did not leave the nest at all today. Day clear and 

 pleasant. 



June 20: — The mother wasp hung- from the bottom of her nest 

 all through the morning and afternoon, though it was light and 

 warm and other queens are actively engag*ed. After it began to rain 

 she moved from the bottom of the nest to its top. Clear and warm, 

 cloudy at 3 p. m., showers at 4:15 p. m. 



June 21 : — At 1 :40 p. m., though present previously, the female 

 was noticed to be absent from her nest and she was not seen up to 

 3 p. m., when the observations were discontinued 'until June 23. The 

 eg-g in cell seventeen was noticed to have disappeared at 2 p. m. 

 today. 



June 28: — Apparently the queen has disappeared entirely. She 

 did not appear on the nest today and no trace of her could be found 

 in the immediate vicinity of the nest. 



June 24: — The egg in cell fourteen, deposited at 5 p. m., June 11, 

 hatched at 9 p. m., June 23 ; that in cell fifteen, deposited at 1 :30 p. 

 m.. June 12, hatched at noon, June 24; and that of cell sixteen, 

 deposited on June 13, hatched on June 25. 



June 27: — The queen has disappeared altogether. At 2:15 p. m. 

 today the worker adult from cell No. 1 emerged, after neatly remov- 

 ing- the cap to its cell. 



June 28: — At 10 a. m. the worker adult from cell No. 2, adjoining 

 cell No. 1 on the south, emerged ; the first worker is still present on 

 the nest and the behavior of both gives the impression that they are 

 uncertain just what to do with themselves; they have a lost 

 appearance. 



* Apparently not parasitized. 



