402 



Marvels of Insect Life. 



Entomological and Natural History Society exhibited two collections of small 

 stones that he had obtained near the entrances of wasps' colonies, and which the 

 members of these had removed when making and enlarging the cavities in which 

 they built their nests. He said that if these stones are too heavy to be removed, 

 they are allowed to gravitate to the bottom of the cavity, only the loose soil and 

 stones not too heavy to carry being removed. The weight of some of the stones 

 lifted was, in proportion to the size of the wasps, very large, and that those exhibited 

 closely approached the limit, was shown by a heap being found at a few inches 



from the entrance to the 

 nest. These heaps consisted 

 of stones all about the same 

 size, apparently very near 

 the limit of the weight ^^'hich 

 a wasp was able to support 

 when on the wing, and so 

 they had been compelled to 

 drop them just outside the 

 nest-hole. The stones of 

 lesser weight, and the par- 

 ticles of earth, which had 

 also to be removed from the 

 cavit}^ were not in the heap, 

 and were, presumably, car- 

 ried to a further distance, 

 just as are the general refuse, 

 dead grubs, etc. 



The talus of stones around 

 a nest of Vespa germanica 

 began some two inches from 

 the lip of the hole and 

 covered roughly an area of 

 a semi-circle of two feet 

 radius. They decreased in 

 number with the distance 

 but there was no apparent 

 decrease in their size. Fre- 

 quent observation of this 

 nest showed him that most 

 of the wasps got away with their burdens, but that those with larger stones nearer 

 the limit of the capacity of their bearer failed to take wing properly, and landed 

 somewhere within the above area and had, after many vain efforts, to relinquish 

 their burdens. 



The nodules were weighed and compared. Ten flint nodules gave an average 

 of "33 grm., and twenty chalk nodules gave an average of •35 grm. They were 

 probably drier than when brought to the surface. Six of the wasps were captured 



Photo by] 



[H. Mam, F.H.S. 



Interior of Nest showing First Comb. 



Ill this photogiaph a ?imilar nest to that on the opposite page has had its paper walls 

 removed to show the first comb. The original cells contain chrysalids and are capped. 

 Above them newer cells have grubs in them, and in more recently added cells at the 

 top eggs may be seen. Combs of later construction will be fiat and horizontal. 



