108 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS 



She reaches out her jaws, which are 

 much larger and stronger than the brown 

 dots of jaws she possessed as a larva, and 

 with them cuts a hole in the cap she spun 

 over her head a few days ago. As she 

 works she moistens the spot with saliva. 



Snip, snip, snip, go the jaws in the dark 

 cell. 



One can easily hear them at work. Then 

 a little opening appears. Snip, snip, snip, 

 go the jaws until the hole is large enough 

 to let out one of the antennae. 



This organ, newly freed from confine- 

 ment, waves about as though examining 

 the world into which its little owner is 

 about to enter. 



But the jaws are still snipping, and 

 finally the cap is so nearly cut away that 

 Vespa's face can be seen filling the open- 

 ing of the cell. 



Then a foot appears, a fore-leg is 

 stretched out, and very likely the first 

 thing it does is to clean the antenna. 



