( xl ) 



strong mandibles with which they can readily pulp up a 

 caterpillar, I was surprised at their inability to cope with the 

 little fly. All that they did was to huddle round on the side 

 at which danger threatened, expanding their wings over their 

 charges like a mother hen over her chicks ; whereon the wily 

 fly immediately made a lightning rush to the other side, 

 though, as it had to make a detour, the wasp usually got 

 into position before an attack could be made. From time to 

 time the fly tried the same tactics at another nest near by. 

 Unfortunately I did not manage to take it. 



" In order to test whether the attempts at oviposition had 

 been successful, it was necessary to leave the nest in situ, so 

 that the wasps could continue to minister to the grubs, but 

 the nest was torn down by some mischievous person late in 

 the month. I found, however, the remains of several 

 Tachinid pupae in its fragments. One wasp hovered about 

 in the vicinity and ultimately, settling on the stalk of the old 

 nest, recommenced building operations, the result being that 

 now there is a large nest again, on the under side of which 

 seven wasps are hanging. The Tachinid grubs must feed on 

 the wasp grubs, for these are fed day by day by the wasps, 

 the food being thrust direct into their open mouths, so that 

 no store is laid by. I forget whether I mentioned that the 

 excreta of the grubs are discharged out at the base of the nest 

 and are removed by the wasps. 



" The past week has been very hot, 103° and 104° F. 

 having been registered as the midday shade temperature, 

 and on March 25th, the clerk drew my attention to one of the 

 wasps fanning the grubs. While still clinging to the nest the 

 wasp set its wings in rapid vibration at such a rate that one 

 could not see them, though the body was held immobile. 

 This went on for a considerable time with short intervals 

 of rest, and the clerk, a more observant man than most 

 natives in this country, assured me that he had watched this 

 manoeuvre previously and had noticed that, when one wasp 

 ceased the fanning, others took it up in turn." 



Prof. Poulton said that so far as he was aware this was the 

 first record of fanning by a wasp, although it was of course 

 well known in the hive-bee, and Mr. A. H. Hamm had ob- 



