AN ISLAND SETTLEMENT 



irresistibly comical aspect. With the exception of the 

 omnipresent flies, this wasp was the only sign of life 

 about the place. Even in good weather, and in working 



BEMBEX SPINOL^ LOOKING OUT OF NEST 



hours, the wasps sometimes rest, for we have seen them 

 go in empty-handed, closing the door behind them, to 

 remain for half an hour at a time. 



There is one thought that must strike even a casual 

 observer at the sight of the hordes of parasites that 

 hover over a Bembex colony: — 



131 



