TAKINGNESTS 147 



The workers put in the box with the 

 combs took care of the larv^, and as the 

 combs lay with the mouths of the cells up, 

 the little creatures must have been greatly 

 puzzled by this upside down state of 

 affairs. 



The larvae were no longer hanging head 

 down but their mouths were still open 

 begging for food, and a lively time the few 

 workers captured with the combs had, 

 caring for this numerous and 

 ravenous family. Soon, how- ^ 

 ever, strong little jaws began 

 to gnaw the caps from the cells, then little 

 heads began to appear and new wasps 

 came forth. These new wasps washed 

 their hands and cleaned their antennae, and 

 at once began to feed the still uncapped 

 larvae, that is, after they had satisfied their 

 own hunger. 



The wasps did not try to build up the 

 nest again, but devoted themselves to the 

 larvae and to efforts to escape. It was very 



