on various Species of Hymenopterous Insects. 137 
These I put into my box, and in a few days some more neuters 
were produced. These I lapped up alive in paper with the nest, 
and brought to Hammersmith. I now kept them some days ina 
tumbler, giving them sugar and honey to eat, which they seemed 
to relish, as well as the young grubs in some of the cells. I sub- 
sequently took off the gauze covering of the tumbler, and placed 
it in the open air, to see the proceedings of the insects. The day 
was very hot, and for some time they were occupied in vibrating 
their wings whilst standing on the top of the nest, and elevating 
the head and front of their bodies ; at length they ventured to take 
wing, and I was anxious to ascertain in what manner these insects 
(now for the first time let loose) would proceed so as to obtain a 
knowledge of the neighbourhood, and thereby be enabled to retrace 
their steps. There were five wasps, and their proceedings were 
alike. After quitting the glass they made a very small circuit 
round it, then another rather larger, and so by degrees till the dia- 
meter of the circle was not less than a yard. They then alighted 
on the leaves of the adjoining trees, and seemed much delighted to 
bask in the sun. They returned from time to time to the glass, 
and in the afternoon four out of the five returned. I then brought 
the glass into the house for the night, putting it out again the first 
thing on the next morning, when the missing wasp immediately 
made its appearance, hovering over the glass. I noticed at first 
that they passed the night with their bodies entirely immersed in 
the cells, but afterwards they congregated on the top of the gauze 
covering. In a few days I put the glass out of doors, when the 
wasps did not return to it regularly, but left it one by one. A 
little rain got into the glass one evening (notwithstanding I[ had 
put a cover over it), and melted the sugar, which attracted the ants 
and earwigs, (the wasps being all absent,) which devoured not only 
the sugar, but also the grubs. On Friday, 28th July, afternoon, 
the nest was deserted. Saturday was a wet and boisterous day, 
and the wasps did not return. Sunday, ditto. Monday was a fine 
day, and three of the wasps returned early in the morning, but of 
course found the nest without grubs. Some ants were in the glass, 
and occasionally one found its way upon the nest, when they were 
assaulted by the wasps. The mode of attack of the latter was 
singular ; they appeared irritated, raised the front part of the body, 
made a dash at the ant with the jaws, and instantaneously jirked 
the intruder over their backs, without either stinging or killing it. 
The spiracles of the larva, according to M. Audouin’s observations 
and figures (MS. Obs. 1835, No. 23, inedit.), are placed only on 
the meso- and meta- thorax and first abdominal segment, a pecu- 
