; 55 
in the cells and coverings, alone, were found. These two kinds 
were not made indiscriminately by one species of Wasp, but by 
two, each making one sort of papers. ‘ This was so uniformly the 
ease that the Species of Wasp making the nest could be certainly 
determined by examining the paper. The nest of both Species 
were in most cases constructed underground in a mole or rat 
burrow, enlarged by the insect, and situated in some bank of a 
_ ditch generally near to the water; in a few instances.the nests of 
both were found in old thatched roofs. The papers of the largest 
and commonest Wasp of the district, afterwards determined to be’ 
Vespa Germanica, was found of a greyish green, tough substance, 
very thin, formed of concentric laminz of long fibrous material ; 
_ among which might be traced the palee of Grasses. The comb 
was formed of a like material, but thicker. Their nests varied 
much in size, the largest, taken on August 21st, was 42in. in 
circumference, and weighed ten and a half pounds. The second 
set of nests were built by a smaller Species, Vespa Vulgaris, but 
_ though the neuters are much smaller than with germanica, the 
queens are larger. The material of these nests differs from the 
first, in being composed of wood fibres of shorter lengths, generally 
_ lighter in colour. The comb was very thin and easily crumbled. 
_ For full description of these two Species, reference is made to ~ 
Dr. E. L. Ormerod’s work on British and Social Wasps, 1868. 
_ Mr. Dowker is inclined to the opinion that two or more Species of 
_ Wasps may be included under that termed Vespa Vulgaris. Of the 
_ seven Species named by Ormerod, germanica, Vulgaris, sylvestris 
_ are the Species most frequently met with in the district of East 
_ Kent here referred to. Vespa Crabro, the Common Hornet is met 
with occasionally in the higher chalk districts. Only the abandoned 
nests of sylvestris had been met with by the Author. After 
describing in detail an ingenious method for taking Wasps nests 
without danger, by plowing sulphurous vapours into the nests, 
3 it is mentioned that frequently the queen or queens of. the nest 
_ survive when the other Wasps are killed, seemingly showing that 
Be ey are gifted with a stronger vitality. 
“es wt, °- + .- 
‘h 
= 
It was purposed to continue these observations in 1886, but there . 
_ was not a single Wasp’s nest reported that yearin the parish. This 
could not be due entirely to the extermination of nests in the two 
_ previous years, as the queens, from which the colonies originate, 
_ were numerous in the Spring of the year. On the 22nd of May 
_ the queens of three different Species were taken in the garden, 
AE Vulgaris, V. Sylvestris, and V. Germanica. These were intently 
searching for aphides along the branches of trees, but none were to 
be found. The Winter of 1885-6 was one of persisting cold from 
November to March, and may have so told upon insect life, as not 
only to destroy the weak ones, but to affect the survivors by 
