1911] Girauit, Observations on Polistes. 63 



(3.) In regard to the activity of the queen wasp. Of the month 

 of actual observation of the queen, it was observed that at first — for 

 the first ten daj r s — she did not leave the nest until late in the forenoon, 

 about 10:30 a. m., but after June 1, as it became warmer she com- 

 menced trips abroad much earlier until about the middle of June, she 

 was leaving as early as 6 :30 a. m. Correspondingly, she began to 

 work until later in the afternoon so that her working-day which at 

 first was about five and one-half hours, or from about 11 a. m. to 

 4:30 p. m., became gradually lengthened to nearly eleven (or more) 

 hours, or from about 6 :30 a. m. to about 6 p. m. Of the twenty-four 

 days of actual observation, she made trips abroad on twenty-one of 

 them, three of which were cloudy. Of the three days which she re- 

 mained upon the nest, two were rainy and one was fair. She passed the 

 nights upon the nest. During the month she constructed eight new 

 cells, or one about every four days. 



(4). The duration of the egg stadium gradually decreased in 

 length as it became warmer, from about twenty-two plus days on May 

 31 to fifteen and one-eighth days on June 8, fourteen and one-half days 

 June 9 eleven days on June 14, to twelve and one-sixth days on June 24 

 and twelve days on June 25. 



(5). The. duration of the larval stadium was approximately 

 eleven days (May 31 to June 11) for the first three larvae to come to 

 full growth; for the fourth larva about fourteen, and for the fifth 

 and sixth, about a day less. The duration of the pupal stadium for 

 the first larva to hatch was about seventeen days, three hours ; for 

 the second about a day less and for the third a day more than the 

 first; the fourth and fifth individuals were about the same as the 

 second, while the sixth required nineteen days. 



(6). The larvae capped their cells for pupation without assistance 

 and the resulting adults emerged through their own efforts. 



(7). Newly emerged workers appear to be without social instincts 

 and to require education before assuming any relation to the nest. 

 Those observed in the absence of the queen, appeared to be total ly 

 unaware that they were in any way related to the nest from which they 

 emerged, though they did occasionally explore it. 



(8). The queen wasp, when deprived of its nest, apparently loses 

 all ambition and soon dies. 



Urbana, 111., February, 1911. 



