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“Tn one nest of V. vulgaris, which I took out on the 24th of August, I found, in 
addition to examples of Ripiphorus in the larva, pupa and perfect state, a number of 
cocoons spun by the larve of Anomalon Vesparum, intermixed with which were those 
of a much smaller species of Ichneumon, which made its appearance in the perfect 
state a few days afterwards. Of what genus this may be I have yet to learn. Iam 
not aware that an Ichneumon of this size has been described as an inhabitant of wasps’ 
nests; it may, therefore, possibly prove to be new. 
“ Upon the crown of almost every nest I examined, after the season had become 
somewhat advanced, I found eggs of Volucella; and my attention was in several 
instances drawn to a nest by seeing a specimen of Volucella pellucens or of V. bom- 
bylans hang about or alight near the entrance to it. 
“The breeding of wasps in a semi-domesticated state in-doors was this year 
attended with only partial success. I had at one time as many as eleven colonies of 
various species at work in different windows of the house I have used as an establish- 
ment for wasps for some years past, viz., five of Vespa sylvestris, two of V. rufa, two of 
V. vulgaris, and two of V. germanica. These all went un satisfactorily enough for 
some time, until at length, as the season advanced, the workers belonging to nests 
round about the neighbourhood, which I had not been able to discover on account of 
having but little time to search for them, began to increase, until their numbers 
became enormous. These, attracted by the sugar with which mine were fed, came 
crowding in swarms into the different boxes, thus at first impeding aud ultimately 
putting a complete stop to the work, not, however, until many of my nests had become 
fine specimens, and two very extraordinary ones had been produced. 
“ The facts connected with the production of these two specimens are as follow:— 
I had a colony of V. germanica at work in a box in the left hand corner of the window 
of a room on the ground-floor, the nest having been removed from its original situation 
under ground on the 10th of June. On the 18th [ took off the shell or covering, 
which I put by for a specimen, having first neatly joined in the piece I had cut out in 
order to take out the combs, which were then returmed to their place for further work, 
a plan I generally adopt when I wish to obtain specimens of nests of various sizes 
from one set of combs. At that period there was nothing remarkable about the nest. 
About the same time I obtained one of V. vulgaris, which was placed in a box in the 
left hand corner of a window immediately above. It was not long before I observed 
that a strange variety of colouring was beginning to pervade the newly-formed covering 
of the nest of V. germanica, and on looking more closely I could perceive that it was 
partly composed of scrapings from sound wood, and partly from decayed, or touch- 
wood; and on carefully scrutinizing the individuals composing the colony, it was 
found to consist in part of V. germanica and in part of V. vulgaris. It appeared, 
therefore, that a number of workers from the nest in the room above had attached 
themselves to this one. There was another nest of V. germanica in full work in the 
opposite, or right hand corner of this same window, and as no specimens of V. vulgaris 
were ever found in it, I conclude that those which had joined the other community 
made no mistake as to the corner of the window in which their own nest was situated, 
but they miscalculated the height of the proper window from the ground, and so ‘ got 
into the wrong box,’ but as they came provided with food or building material they 
were not interfered with, but were allowed quietly to join in the work of the nest and 
to make it their future home. Widely different would have been their reception had 
they entered it for purposes of theft, or even if their intentions had appeared to be 
K 
