1905.] 9 



Accordingly I removed in a sack that part of the earth thrown up 

 which contained most of <he wasps, but at least 200 more must have 

 been left behind in the remainder of the earth, which was too bulky 

 conveniently to remove. To these I add about 50, which had as- 

 sembled round the nest in the morning, and which were not in it 

 when it was destroyed, making a total of 5207. 



This would apj)ear to be an unusually large community. How 

 can its numbers be accounted for ? 



I suppose we may conclude that the past summer has been more 

 than ordinarily calculated to hasten the development of both larvae 

 and pupae of the successive broods occupying the cells. It would 

 appear from the number of cells occupied by healthy larvse and pupae 

 at the time of taking the nest, that, assuming a continuation of 

 sufficiently warm weather, the community would soon largely have 

 increased its number, for workers were still in process of emerging, 

 together with small males and a large number of females. 1 counted 

 one layer of females' cells, sealed and filled throughout with larvse and 

 pupae, with the exception of some twelve empty cells, numbering over 

 1100. Another larger layer of smaller cells containing males and 

 workers mixed, many in process of emerging, T should estimate at 

 1500. The caps of these cells I removed in search of imagines of 

 Metoecus. By October 6th I had counted the whole contents of the 

 nest, which were as follows : — 



(1). Wasps found dead in the nest — 



Males 1107 



Females f'Sl 



Workers 3299 



(2). Enclosed in sealed cells (imagines, pupsB, and larvije) — 



Males and workei's mixed 2280 



Females 2594 



(3). In open cells, larvae in all stages 1201 



(4). Eggs, in cells of males ; females and workers 314 



(5). Metcecus paradoxus (imagines, pupae and one larva) 24 



Total occupants counted = 11370 



Adding to this the following estimated numbers — 



(1). Dead wasps not gathered up 250 



(2). Emerged from cells, and flown before the counting of pupse 



and larvse was completed 150 



(3). Pupae and larvae lost 300 



Total occupants ofllimated = 12070 



