Social-Wasps. 103 



surface. A small opening for the entrance of the insects 

 terminates its funnel-shaped bottom. It is impossible to 

 unite more perfectly the qualities of lightness and strength. 

 In the specimen from which we take our description, the 

 length of which is nine inches, six stout circular platforms 

 stretch internally across, like so many floors, and fixed all 

 round to the walls of the nest. They are smooth above, 

 with hexagonal cells on the under surface. These plat- 



JN'est of the Pasteboard-maker Wasp, with part removed to show the arrangement 

 of the Cells. 



forms are not quite flat, but rather concave above, like a 

 watch-glass reversed; the centre of each platform is per- 

 forated for the admission of the wasps, at the extremity of 

 a short funnel- like projection, and through this access is 

 gained from story to story, On each platform, therefore, 

 can the wasps walk leisurely about attending to the pupre 



