IIISTOKY OF THE POLISTES. 495 



" The young grow very fast, especially at first, when so few 

 have to be fed ; and thus in a short time there is a well-peopled 

 colony, in which there will be a few males and workers of 

 every size. 



" The tops of the cells of the queen wasps are much elongated 

 with silk ; and these insects use some species of gluten where- 

 with to temper the paper of which the cells are constructed, as 

 well as to solidify the silken cell coverings. 



" They are in the habit of seizing insects and sucking out 

 their juices, wherewith they again feed the voracious young 

 grubs, who are always clamouring for food with open mouths. 



" They are extremely troubled with Stylops — every fifth or 

 sixth taken having a female of one under one of the segments 

 of the abdomen ; and I have sometimes seen two or three on 

 one specimen. I have often tried to breed these Stylops, but 

 invariably failed, the male Stylops being very scarce, and the 

 female, Mr. Smith tells me, never leaving the body of the 

 Polistes. 



"This species is so well known that I do not think any- 

 further remarks are needed, excepting a short account of the 

 method by which these troublesome insects are easily got 

 rid of: — 



"There is a yellow ant (CEcophylla smaragdina) which lives a 

 social life chiefly upon trees, drawing leaves together in a curious 

 manner with silk, and making in this manner large nests in the 

 mango trees. These insects sting severely, and they seem to 

 have a great antipathy to the Polistes, who are very fond of 

 feeding on their poorly-protected juicy young grubs. If, there- 

 fore, you cut off a bough with a nest of these ants upon it, tie 

 it to a long bamboo, and put it very near to the nest of the 

 Polistes, there will be a general attack by the former upon the 

 latter. An ant will seize upon a wasp and bite and sting him, 

 others also coming up to help. They will together fall to the 

 ground, when the Polistes dies, and the ant (CEcophylla smarag- 

 dina), having taken a sip of his blood and juices, runs up again 

 to his nest by a string always left hanging down from the 

 bamboo near to the nest for this purpose. They will also attack 

 hornets. Their native name is " Mata," and they are used by 

 all classes for this purpose. 



" No heat is too great for the Polistes, and in the hottest 



