TAKING NESTS 145 



completed their transformations. The box 

 should be covered at night and at all times 

 kept away from cold draughts. 



A large number of queens, drones, and 

 workers under ordinary circumstances will 

 hatch out under the eye of the observer, 

 and some of the larvae will be sure to spin 

 their cocoons. 



When one understands wasps and their 

 habits, the common fear of these creatures 

 very largely departs. 



It is not difficult to get possession of 

 the combs in a yellow-jackef s nest, and 

 even the stings of these creatures are not 

 so fearful as fancy paints them. 



With care one need not get stung. It is 

 astonishing how many liberties one can 

 take with yellow-jackets, if one has knowl- 

 edge of their ways and exercises self con- 

 trol and intelligence when dealing with 

 them. 



Not long since a yellow-jacket's nest was 

 raked down from the eaves of a house, and 



10 



