SOME SOCIAL WASPS 297 



discovered early in June, and then comprised three empty 

 cells, six covered ones and about a dozen with larvae. From 

 the covered cells, four adults emerged on June 28 and 29 

 and July 3. The nest was small and had four layers of 

 covering over the top and partly overlapping on the sides. 



Vespa macnlata 



A pair of insects, tumbling violently about on the door- 

 step, attracted our attention. Closer observation revealed 

 Vespa maculata in deadly combat with a large gray fly. Soon 

 one wing of the fly flew off; then the head popped off. 

 Even then, more tumbling ensued, until presently the wasp 

 triumphantly adjusted the fly under her body and flew to 

 the grape-arbor nearby. Here she paused to complete the 

 preparation of her prey, which consisted of much malaxa- 

 tion of the fly and biting off its other wing; then she flew 

 away with it. . 



For days thereafter she chased flies at the kitchen door 

 and at our out-door dinner table. Other wasps were often 

 there, too, sharing our food drinking our fruit-juice, steal- 

 ing our cake, even pillaging our sausage but Vespa macu- 

 lata never bothered anything but the flies which congre- 

 gated there. With a swiftness exceeding that of a chicken- 

 hawk in its onset upon a barn-yard, she would appear above 

 the table, pounce upon an unsuspecting fly either on the 

 wing or resting on the table, and carry it up to the grape- 

 arbor overhead. There she would either snip off its wings 

 and head preparatory to carrying it away, or, as is her 

 custom, hang herself up by one hind leg and swing to and 

 fro up-side-down while devouring the prey. 



They are large, boisterous and decidedly terrifying in 

 their manner. However, they themselves do not always 



