820 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



a female) prying into and among the branches of the goose- 

 berry-bushes. Day after day, for at least a week, I thought 

 she was hunting after insects, but found her object was only 

 to find a convenient site for her nest. 1 afterwards observed 

 her in company with two or three other wasps, not so large 

 as herself Having something to attend to for a few days, I 

 neglected looking after them ; but when I again inspected 

 the locality I found a compact little nest, about the size of a 

 duck's egg, with an entrance at the bottom : the entire colony 

 consisted of about six : the nest was a very slight fabric, 

 made from the scrapings of wood mixed with the saliva of 

 the wasp : the little colony was very industrious, flying in 

 and out from early morn till dewy eve : in a short time 1 ob- 

 served the nest to increase in size and the inmates to get 

 more numerous ; but in what way they enlarged the nest I 

 could not discover. One day I made a dent in the nest with 

 my fingers, which caused a great consternation to the in- 

 mates, who came rushing out at the bottom of the nest, but, 

 finding no one to attack, they soon retired to the interior. 

 The following day the dent I had made in the side of the 

 nest was forced out again, but by what means 1 was at a loss 

 to discover : the nest kept on increasing in size, and the 

 colony continued to get more numerous : by the end of Jul}"^ 

 the nest was the size of a half-pint basin, and its inmates 

 amounted to about fifty or sixty in number : by the middle 

 of August the colony began to stray away, and by the end of 

 the month the nest was deserted, and on slightly touching it 

 it fell to-pieces, I observed some of the wasps lingering 

 about the garden for a few days, and then none were to be 

 seen. Can Mr. Smith give me any information as to what 

 becomes of the wasps at this early period of the year ? and 

 1 should like also to know by what means they enlarge the 

 nest. This species does not seem to be very spiteful, as I 

 disturbed them very often, and never got stung. — H. J. 

 Harding ; Deal, Kent, September 4, 1865. 



260. Egg-parasite on Pygccra hucephala. — I send you a 

 batch of the eggs of Pygaera bucephala, nearly the whole of 

 which have been destroyed by a parasite : it is the first time 

 1 have observed the eggs of this species so attacked. — 

 J. Pristo ; Whippinghaui, Alverstone, Isle of Wight. 



261. Egg-parasite on Pygcsra hucephala. — I think that 



