COMMON WASPS 



Moreover, it is quite possible that the nurse herself 

 places a portion of her helping on this spot. Whether 

 it be above or below the mouth, right way up or upside 

 down, the bib fulfils its office because of the sticky nature 

 of the food. It is a temporary saucer which shortens the 

 work of serving out the rations, and enables the grub to 

 feed in a more or less leisurely fashion and without too 

 much gluttony. 



In the open country, late in the year when fruit is 

 scarce, the grubs are mostly fed upon minced Fly; but in 

 my cages everything is refused but honey. Both nurses 

 and nurselings seem to thrive on this diet, and if any in- 

 truder ventures too near to the combs he is doomed. 

 Wasps, it appears, are far from hospitable. Even the 

 Polistes, an insect who is absolutely like a Wasp in shape 

 and colour, is at once recognised and mobbed if she 

 approaches the honey the Wasps are sipping. Her ap- 

 pearance takes nobody in for a moment, and unless she 

 hastily retires she will meet with a violent death. No, 

 it is not a good thing to enter a Wasps' nest, even when 

 the stranger wears the same uniform, pursues the same 

 industry, and is almost a member of the same corpo- 

 ration. 



Again and again I have seen the savage reception given 

 to strangers. If the stranger be of sufficient importance 

 he is stabbed, and his body is dragged from the nest and 



[151] 



