HISTORY OF THE POLTSTES. 495 



" The young grow very fast, especially at first, when so few 

 have to be fed ; and thus in a short time there is a well-peopled 

 colony, in which there will be a few males and workers of 

 every size. 



" The tops of the cells of the queen wasps are much elongated 

 with silk ; and -these insects use some species of gluten where- 

 with to temper the paper of which the cells are constructed, as 

 well as to solidify the silken cell coverings. 



" They are in the habit of seizing insects and sucking out 

 their juices, wherewith they again feed the voracious young 

 grubs, who are always clamouring for food with open mouths. 



" They are extremely troubled with Sty lops — every fifth or 

 sixth taken having a female of one nnder one of the segments 

 of the abdomen ; and I have sometimes seen two or three on 

 one specimen. I have often tried to breed these Stylops, but 

 invariably failed, the male Stylops being very scarce, and the 

 female, Mr. Smith tells me, never leaving the body of the 

 Polistes. 



" This species is so well known that I do not think any 

 further remarks are needed, excepting a short account of the 

 method by which these troublesome insects are easily got 

 rid of: — 



"There is a yellow ant {CEcopliylla smaragdina) which lives a 

 social life chiefly upon trees, drawing leaves together in a curious 

 manner with silk, and making in this manner large nests in the 

 mango trees. These insects sting severely, and they seem to 

 have a great antipathy to the Polistes, who are very fond of 

 feeding on their poorly-protected juicy young grubs. If, there- 

 fore, you cut off a bough with a nest of these ants upon it, tie 

 it to a long bamboo, and put it very near to the nest of the 

 Polistes, there will be a general attack by the former upon the 

 latter. An ant will seize upon a wasp and bite and sting him, 

 others also coming up to help. They will together fall to the 

 ground, when the Polistes dies, and the ant {(J^cophylla smarag- 

 dina), having taken a sip of his blood and juices, runs up again 

 to his nest by a string always left hanging down from the 

 bamboo near to the nest for this purpose. They will also attack 

 hornets. Their native name is " Mata," and they are used by 

 all classes for this purpose. 



" No heat is too great for tlie Polistes, and in the hottest- 



