32 NESTS AND HABITS OF AUSTRALIAN VESPID^ AND LARRID^E, 



and thorax black ; in the middle and hind legs the black extends 

 almost, but not quite up to the tibise ; the upper surface of the 

 thorax black, except the prothorax and scutellum ; the first 

 segment of the abdomen black, narrowly margined with yellow 

 at the apex ; the second yellow, banded with black at the base; 

 the third only very slightly marked with black at the base ; on the 

 ventral side of the base of abdomen and an oval patch extending 

 into the third segment black. Wings pale horn-yellow with deep 

 orange-yellow nervures, slightly clouded along the hind margins 

 Avith fuscous. 



P. facilis is one of the largest and most savage members of 

 this genus that I know. It forms a brown papery nest of a 

 slightly irregular circular form, attached by a stout pedicle, as in 

 P. tasmaniensis, whose nest it closely resembles, except in the 

 size of the cells, which are somewhat bigger, though I have never 

 seen a very large nest formed by this species. They inflict a very 

 severe sting, and attack one the moment they are disturbed, and 

 as they generally construct their nests in hollow or burnt logs on 

 the ground, the collector while turning these over for ground 

 insects is often startled by their angry hum. 



PoLiSTES TEPIDUS, Fabr., Syst. Ent. p. 366, 17. 



The only specimens of this fine wasp that I have seen were 

 presented to me by Mr. W. S. Dun, of the Geological Department, 

 who informed me that they were taken with the nest on the 

 Kogarah side of Botany Bay. 



Length 10 lines. Colour black ; the antennse, the face, jaws, a 

 transverse narrow mark above the insertion of the antennee, the 

 apex of the femora, the tibiae and tarsi of the fore and middle 

 legs, a slight patch at the junction of femora, and the tarsi of 

 hind legs bright orange-yellow ; the prothoracic girdle and wings 

 reddish-yellow, slightly clouded with fuscous at hind margins ; 

 apical portion of second abdominal segment and the whole of tlie 

 following ones dull orange-yellow. 



The nest is formed with a stout i)edicle in the same manner as 

 that of P. tasmaniensis, but the cells are very much larger. 



