417 



obsolete and reduced to a point, and this witli the other two dots 

 forming a triangle. 



Although there are transitions from one of these varieties to 

 the other, yet the whole series of females and neuters is divided 

 into the three groups according to the types of markings just de- 

 scribed, and it is interesting to notice that those on the face corre- 

 spond very nearly with the more ordinary markings of some of 

 the other species ; the first, for example, with those of K vulgaris ; 

 the second, with those of V, Germanica ; and those of the third, 

 with the markings of V. arborea. 



The species here noticed does not appear to have been de- 

 scribed ; certainly it does not agree with either of the European 

 species of similar habits described by Saussure in his admirable 

 monograph. As he is about pubHshing a memoir on the North 

 American Hymenoptera, with an abundance of materials, it is 

 hardly worth while to do anything more at present than to offer 

 general remarks. 



A comparison of the habits of the European and American 

 wasps shows the existence of two distinct groups both in the Old 

 and in the New World ; one group constructing their nests in 

 the trees, or suspending them from the eaves of houses, and the 

 other making them in the ground. Those having the latter habit, 

 are the Vespa vulgaris, V. Germanica, and V. rufa. The details 

 of the construction of the two kinds of nests seem to be widely 

 different ; those hanging free in the air are usually provided with 

 an envelope composed of concentric layers of paper, the outer 

 ones being somewhat irregular. The only description of those 

 of the second group which is given by Reaumur, and copied by 

 all subsequent writers, represents the envelope as made up of 

 irregular pieces of paper, these being in the form of a bivalve 

 shell and fastened to each other by their edges, and overlapping 

 in an imbricated manner like tiles. The nest which I have here 

 described corresponds very well with Reaumur's description, which 

 relates to that of V. Germanica, except that the paper in the 

 American nest is much more brittle, and has not sufficient tenacity 

 to allow of its being handled without falling to pieces. 



The American species also resembles one at least of those of 

 Europe, in the habit which it has of carrying away the earth 



PEOCEEDINGS B. S. N. H. VOL. VII. 27 FEBRUARY, 1861 



