STARTING THE NEST 



THE well-known grey 

 structures wasps build in trees, under 

 the eaves or in the ground, are generally 

 seen in the fall of the year. Then the 

 leaves have left the tree branches bare dis- 

 closing the nests so carefully hidden under 

 the foliage in the summer time. 



Moreover, in the fall of the year, boys 

 fearlessly take down these nests and hang 

 them up as ornaments in the house. 



Boys do not take them down in the 

 summer — for a very good reason ; but 

 they know that after the first frost the 

 nest has no fiery occupants to defend 

 it; it is an abandoned domicile — safe 

 booty for whoever finds it. 



Sometimes a hornet's nest is nearly as 

 large as a bushel basket, but that is at the 

 end of the season. The beginning of every 



93 



