182 ROMANCE OF THE INSECT WORLD CHAP. 



cavities are much shorter, open and empty, indeed 

 one would imagine them to be abortive, and too 

 small to be of any use. These are mere rudi- 

 ments or outlines, and originate in a thrifty habit 

 of the wasps of constructing not only cells that 

 they wish to fill, but of preparing others to come 

 in handy by-and-bye. Within the little cups, the 

 bottoms of future cells, eggs can be laid, and later 

 on the walls can be lengthened. These sketches, 

 several deep, sometimes form a ring round the 

 great cells, or comb properly so called. They are 

 of advantage in permitting of rapid additions to 

 the nest, in a sense they ensure its well-being by 

 lessening the bad effects of any shock or blow, and 

 they alone would be flooded in the event of pene- 

 trating rains. They are less well proportioned than 

 the mediate cells, even the form of the nest as a 

 whole indicates that they are the most oblique, the 

 most divergent, and difficult to construct. Probably 

 to this cause must be attributed the variety to which 

 the nests of all kinds of Polistes are subject. There 

 seems reason to believe that the individuals bred in 

 the lateral apartments are neither so large nor so 

 perfect as their kindred fortunate enough to enter 

 the world in the more beauteous central cradles. 



Polistes aterrima forms its cells with beautiful 

 regularity and sets them in a very peculiar manner, 

 two deep on the same horizontal floor, and in a couple 

 of pendant rows. They open downVards, but are not 

 quite perpendicular, they incline a little alternately to 

 either side. Each is placed rather lower than its 

 fejlow, producing a striking general effect and one 



