350 INSECTS AT nOMK. 



g'enus called Odyiierus, the members of whicli make their nests 

 in tubes and hollows of various kinds. Some of them are very 

 fond of boring out the pith of dead rose or bramble sticks, 

 making therein a series of cells, and placing in each cell an 

 egg and a supply of food, such as small caterpillars. Two 

 species, Odynerus Icevipes and melanocepkalus, adopt this 

 plan, and their curious cells may be found in almost every 

 garden. The former of these insects — a rare species — lines 

 the tube with sand, and constructs the cells of the same mate- 

 rial. Some of them, such as Odynerus quadratus, burrow into 

 old wood if they can find no hole ready made ; but if they can, 

 they make use of it. Mr. F. Smith mentions that he has found 

 its nests in the hollow reeds that formed the thatch of an out- 

 house, and that he has known of a case where it tilled with its 

 cells both barrels of a pistol that was hanging to a post in a 

 garden-house. The cells of this species are provisioned with 

 small green caterpillars. 



The next family is that of the Social Wasps, or Vespidse. 

 There is but one British genus, namely Vespa, and eight 

 British species, some of which, such as the Common "Wasp and 

 the Hornet, are very well known, while others are almost 

 unknown except to naturalists. All the species build nests of 

 remarkable beauty, some being built under cover, and some 

 being so constructed that they can endure the open air. I once 

 had a beautiful series of nests of British Wasps. The collection 

 included not only the nests, but the nests in various stages of 

 progress, from the first cell to the complete edifice, and each 

 complete nest was accompanied by the male, female, and 

 worker Wasp. The collection was made for me by the late 

 Mr. S. Stone, whose lamented loss deprived the scientific 

 world of a laborious, close, and accurate observer. 



In all these nests, however different they may appear ex- 

 ternally, there are one or two points in which they agree. The 

 cells are all placed with their mouths downwards, and are 

 arranged side by side in regular tiers, one above another, with 

 just sufficient space between each tier for the Wasps to pass 

 freely. They are all made of a paper-like substance, obtained 

 by tearing off and masticating small fibres of wood, sometimes 

 sound and sometimes decaying wood. 



