PAPER-MAKERS 175 



wasp, builds its combs in a similar unprotected 

 fashion ; as also does the South American Apoica 

 pallida, but in this case the convex upper surface 

 (or back) of the comb is covered with a continuous 

 sheet of firm paper which is dense enough to cast 

 off tropical rain. Synceca cyanea attaches its combs 

 to the branch of a tree, moulding them to its 

 curves and angles for a distance of two or three 

 feet, and building an outer envelope of paper to 

 protect them. 



All these nests, like those of our native species, 

 are built for one season only ; but there are wasps' 

 nests built for continuous communities like those 

 of the Social Bees. These are found in South 

 America, and in consequence of their being in- 

 tended to last for more than one season they are 

 built of much more durable material — though it 

 is produced in the same way as the ordinary fragile 

 paper. "Paper " is not the word for this material. 

 It is thick, tough, solid, with a smooth finished 

 surface, and the term papier mache is much more 

 suitable for it. 



A tolerably well-known example of this type is 

 the nest of Charter gus chartarius. As it hangs 

 from a branch it is bell-shaped, with the mouth 

 closed save for a small opening in the centre large 

 enough to admit the builders. Some of these 

 nests are a foot and a half high, and contain ten 

 or more tiers of comb, which are concave on 

 the upper or blank side and convex on the cell 

 side. These combs, instead of being suspended 



