H. W. LEWIS. 181 



except the first joint, a part of which is yellow, shorter than the thorax ; the 

 thorax is yellow and a little hairy, having three hlack stripes on the top and two 

 on each side that meet on the hreast; the wings are thin, almost transparent and 

 doubled or folded lengthwise together ; the abdomen is of a dark orange color 

 with a black, ring near the anal segment and two lesser ones near the thorax, 

 none of which are seen underneath, being there entirely of a dark orange color ; 

 the legs are yellow and furnished, except the fore ones, with two spines at the 

 shin joint, these having only one. 

 iy«6.— New York. 



V. serripes Fab. (Descr. of Fab., Ent. Syst. vol. ii, p. 226, No. 46, 1793).— 

 Of medium size. Head black, with three spots under the antennse and two points 

 near the eyes fulvous ; antenna? black, the second and third joints rufous. Thorax 

 black, with two points before and two behind the scutellum yellow. Abdomen 

 black, with six yellow fascise, the first nearly interrupted. Feet yellow, all the 

 tibiie serrate spinose. Wings fuscous. 



Hab. — North America. In the collection of Rev. Mr. Banks. 



V. tibialis Oliv. (Descr. Oliv., Encycl. Meth. Hist. Nat. Ins. p. 690. No. 103). 

 — Head black, with a little point on the front and two others scarcely apparent 

 on the superior mandibles; antennse black, with the underside of the first joint 

 yellow ; the corselet is black, with an interrupted transverse line on the anterior 

 border and another shorter one on the scutellum yellow. Abdomen black, with 

 the border of the first and second segments yellow. Legs yellow, with the femora 

 black. Wings black. 



Hab. — North America, Georgia. 



Generic Characters of the Genus Polistes. 



This genus is characterized by having the metathorax as long as 

 broad, oblique above, with a median dorsal furrow, which is often 

 more or ler-s finely striated. Abdomen subsessile or subpetiolate, 

 long, fusiform and with the basal nervure of the fore wings joining 

 the subcostal at the ba.se of the stigma. The species of this genus 

 are very numerous and widely distributed. They are exceedingly 

 variable in the form and color of their markings, and for this reason 

 it is a very difficult genus to study. M. de Saussure has given most 

 excellent hints on the study of these insects in the " Annales de la 

 Societ8 Entomologique de France," (3) v, 1857, p. 814, with which 

 every student of the genus should make himself familiar. 



In their general habits the species of Polides closely resemble 

 those of Vespa, but they differ from them simply in having their 

 nests composed of a single layer of cells, and in not having them 

 env^eloped or surrounded by any papery covering. They l)uil(l their 

 nests mostly about houses and outbuildings. 



I have not attempted to give any table for the determination of 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXIV. JUNE. 1897 



