Social-Wasps. 107 



of one is white, of the other reddish. That the habits of 

 these honey-wasps must differ considerably from those of 

 any of our European species we may at once admit ; perhaps 

 in some points of their economy these insects may approach 

 the bee. 



[In the same country as is inhabited by the Myrapetra, and 

 in much the same localities, is sometimes found the nest of 

 another honey-making wasp, called Nectarinia analis, a small 

 and plainly-clad insect. It is hung to the branches of low 

 trees and underwood, and often includes both twigs and 

 leaves in its structure. The combs of this insect are greatly 

 curved, in order to suit the shape of the general covering, but 

 are not arranged with that beautiful regularity which dis- 

 tinguishes those of the Myrapetra. A specimen of this nest 

 may be seen in the British Museum, and as the outer covering 

 has been partially taken away, the observer will be enabled 

 to note the general form of the combs and the structure of 

 the cells. 



In the accompanying illustration are shown the habitations 

 of two remarkable insects, both belonging to the Hymenoptera. 

 Indeed, the greater number of pensile nests made by insects 

 are formed by members of this important order ; and, if we 

 were to exclude all the wasps, bees, and ants, we should find 

 that we had excluded about ninety per cent, of the pensile 

 architects. 



The left-hand figure represents a nest made by a species 

 of Polybia, inhabiting Brazil. It is made of a papery kind 

 of substance, of rather slight texture, and is fixed to the stalk 

 of a reed. The outside of the nest is seen to be marked 

 with a series of horizontal ribs. These show the progressive 

 stages of the nest, each rib marking a layer of paper as it was 

 spread by the insect builder. The combs extend throughout 

 the entire nest, the largest occupying the centre, and the 

 smallest the ends. Each comb is firmly supported by a foot- 

 stalk, which is fixed, not to the upper tier of cells, as is the 

 case with the British wasps, but to the reed on which the nest 

 is built. 



Other species of Polybia build nests different in shape and 



