THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 223 



raarlved with a blacl: line, and with a dot on either side of it 

 (thus .!.)> but occasionally the line is wanting, and replaced 

 by a third dot (thus .•.) ; otherwise the insects are much 

 alike, in habits as well as appearance : both build under- 

 ground, use sound wood, and work on until late in the fall. 

 Both species may now be taken in abundance at out-door 

 grapes, pears, fallen apples, «Scc., as well as in grocers' shops, 

 and windows generally. 



V. sylvestris has a clear yellow face, with one minute 

 central black dot scarcely larger than the point of a pin, and 

 in some specimens scarcely visible at all. The bands of 

 black and yellow on the abdomen are of nearly equal width 

 throughout, and wanting the tongue-like projections so 

 observable in V. ruCa and V. germanica, but the two small 

 black dots in each yellow band are generally present, 

 especially on the first three segments of the abdomen nearest 

 the thorax. This species is therefore best known by its clear 

 yellow face. It builds, as stated above, occasionally under- 

 ground, but generally suspended from trees, roofs, &c., and 

 uses sound wood; but the nesls are deserted, and the males 

 and workers dead, by the middle or latter end of August, so 

 that the species could not be (bund now unless a queen were 

 disturbed from her hybernaculum. 



V. vulgaris very closely resembles V. sylvestris in the 

 markings on the abdomen, but may always and easily be 

 distinguished from that species by its well-defined anchor- 

 shaped mark on the face. It builds its nest of rotten wood 

 generally under-ground, but sometimes in hollow trees or in 

 thatch, but never suspends it in the open air. The males and 

 workers are never seen after August. 



To sum up, V. vulgaris and V. sylvestris have the bands on 

 the abdomen resembling each other, but the faces very 

 different. V. vulgaris and V. rufa have both well-defined 

 anchor-shaped marks on the face, but the abdomens are 

 very differently banded. V. germanica and V. sylvestris 

 occasionally approach each other in the markings of the 

 face, but the markings on the abdomen will at all times 

 distinguish them. 



I would therefore advise your readers to collect a few 

 specimens of V. germanica and "V. rufa this autumn, before 

 the males and workers die off; and next summer they may 

 probably obtain V. sylvestris and V. vulgaris. 



