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Je dois à l'obligeance de mon ami, M. J.-P. Chapin, du Musée 

 de New-York, quelques faits intéressants concernant P. rtuLaina. 

 Cet excellent observateur a noté, à plusieurs reprises, que certains 

 oiseaux de la forêt congolaise n'ont pas peur de s'attaquer aux nids 

 de cette guêpe, afin de se nourrir de leurs habitants. Dans l'esto- 

 mac de deux Pvcnonotides, Bacopogoii claiiians (Sjôstedt), tués à 

 Avakubi, le 17 avril 1914, il a trouvé des restes de ces guêpes 

 noires et de leurs larves; de même 1 estomac d'une \ioviàxé.t, Periiis 

 apivoriis (Linné), obtenue dans la même localité le 5 juillet 1914, 

 contenait ces mêmes petites guêpes, leurs larves et pupes et des 

 fragments du papier de leur nid. M. Chapin m'a communiqué à ce 

 sujet la note suivante : « The wasps eaten bv the présent spécimens 

 (of Raeopogo)i) are of that abundant and very venimous sort known 

 in the Bangala dialect of the Uele as « Digba », which build large, 

 whitish paper nests beneath boughs of trees, particularly in the 

 neighborhood of streams and rivers, and even right over the vpater. 

 Thèse are not like the round nests of American hornets, but more 

 compressed and open by many entrances instead of a single one. 

 The insects are of a queer disposition, sometimes stinging without 

 the least provocation, when nowhere near the nest; but when they 

 come to my work-table, for instance, to carrv off small bits of 

 meat,thev are never troublesome. I hâve no doubt that about their 

 nest they are especiallycourageous,but this fact I hâve never wished 

 to test. Sufhce it to say that thèse structures are treated with 

 utmost respect by native boatmen, and if, in spite of their précau- 

 tions, one nest should happen to be struck by a careless poler, ail 

 hands immediately dive over board. The stings are more poisonous 

 than those.of any other Hymenoptera with which I hâve had expé- 

 rience. Twice I hâve had an eve nearly closed by a single puncture 

 on the forehead or cheek. The Medje are said to hâve used thèse 

 wasps as a means to stop an oncoming enemy. When it is absolu- 

 tely necessary to eut down a tree bearing such a nest, it is done at 

 night and the nest burned. The Wabali eat the larvas of this 

 wasp. » 



