SOCIAL WASPS VESPIDAE 



79 



closed. The food supplied is of a varied nature according to 

 the species, being either animal or vegetable, or both. 



Although the nests of the social wasps are very elaborate con- 

 structions, yet they serve the purposes of the Insects for only a 

 single season. This is certainly the case in our own country. 

 Here each nest is commenced by a single female or queen ; she 

 at first performs unaided all the duties for the inauguration of 



Fig. 31. — Section of the 

 subterranean nest of tlie 

 common wasp, I 'espa 

 germmiicn, in position. 

 (After Janet.) a. One 

 of the cliambers of an 

 aut's nest, Lasiusflavtis, 

 placed above the wasps' 

 nest ; b, root to whicli 

 the first attacliment of 

 the nest was niaile ; f, 

 secondary attachments ; 

 d, the first-made attach- 

 ment ; e, a liint within 

 the envelopes of the 

 nest ; /,the chief suspen- 

 sory pillar of the second 

 layer of comb ; //, lateral 

 galleries ; h, one of the 

 secondary pillars of 

 suspension between two 

 layers of comb ; i, the 

 layers of wasp - paper 

 forming the envelope of 

 nest ; ,/, vacant space 

 round the nest ; k, flints 

 that fell to the bottom 

 during the work of ex- 

 cavation ; I, numerous 

 larvae of a fly, Pegomyia 

 inanis(1) placed vertically in ground beneath the nest ; ;»■' to nf, the layers of comb, 

 iu m- the cells are indicated , in nfi (above the main figure) the arrangement of the 

 three cells forming the commencement of the new layer of comb, mJ, is shown ; «, 

 gallery of access from surface ; o, burrow of a mole ; 2J, interval of 90 mm. between top 

 of nest and surface ; q, height of tlie nest, 163 mm. 



the colony ; she lays the foundation of the cells, deposits the 

 eggs in them, feeds the young, and thus rears a l3rood of workers 

 that at once assist her, and for the future relieve her of a con- 

 siderable portion of her former occupations ; the nest is by them 

 added to and increased, till the cold weather of the autumn is at 

 hand ; at this time many males and females are produced ; the 

 cold weather either destroys the inhabitants of the nest, or re- 

 duces their vitality so that it is impossible for them to pursue 

 successfully the avocations necessary for their subsistence, and 



