120 Mr. G. R. Waterhouse on the 
I will now call attention to some pieces of comb of another 
species of wasp, the Vespa orientalis. These specimens may be 
seen in the British Museum. Here the cells, instead of being 
built of minute fragments of wood, glued together by a secre- 
tion from the insect, as in the case of the pieces of comb of 
the common hornet which I exhibit, are built of clay, and the 
work is extremely beautiful and true. Under the same glass 
shade are three slabs of comb of this Indian hornet (a large piece 
and two small slabs); one of the small slabs is fractured in 
parts; the other is perfect, and this I will endeavour to describe, 
for if taken in connexion with what has already been said of the 
specimens exhibited, I think I shall then have directed your 
attention to some very important facts connected with the matter 
in hand. 
This slab of comb is nearly round, rather more than two 
inches in diameter, and contains thirty-five cells in different 
stages of progress. Both surfaces of the slab are gently convex. 
All the cells form equilateral hexagons, excepting those which 
belong to the outer or marginal series. A few of the cells in the 
central part of the slab may be said to be complete, or very 
nearly so, having attained their full depth; and from the centre 
towards the margin the cells are successively less deep. Those 
on the margin, however, vary considerably in their depth, or, we 
may say, in their state of progress. Many of them have attained 
about half their full depth, and most of these are, at the opening 
of the cell, nearly true hexagons; each of them is in contact with 
four other cells, and each one of four of its sides thus forms a 
partition common to two cells. These sides meet so as to form 
true angles, but the two remaining sides of each cell, which as 
yet are not in contact with other cells, are less truly flat, and at 
their junction form a slightly rounded angle. Viewing these cells 
on the outer surface, we perceive that the imperfect angular form, 
which the cell has attained at its opening, rapidly disappears 
towards the base of the cell, which is rounded. Besides these 
half-formed cells, which have two free sides, there are two half- 
formed cells that are in contact only with three of the inner series 
of cells, and these two have three free sides each, which sides 
meet so as to form two slightly rounded angles at the outlet of 
plete, it assumes a spherical form, but with an opening on the lowest part for the 
ingress and egress of the wasp. A second, and even a third covering successively 
follow, and are detached from each other, The largest of the nests exhibited by 
Mr. Stone is scarcely equal to a hen’s egg in bulk, and the smallest is not larger 
than a medium-sized walnut. 
