VESPARI^. 153 



ing only the latter, and if she devotes her attentions specially 

 to plastering the corners alone, with the design of making the 

 cell six-sided, then we must allow, contrary to Mr. Water- 

 house's views, that the wasp builds the hexagon by choice, and 

 not as the mere result of her blindly "working in segments of 

 circles ;" for if our point be proved, and the most careful obser- 

 vation of the wasp while at work is needed to prove it, then it 

 may be shown that the wasp is a free agent, and can abandon 

 one method of working at a certain stage of her work, and 

 adopt a different mode of operating. 



The eggs are oval, pointed at the end, ancl glued to the in- 

 side of the cell. They are situated midway from the top and 

 bottom of the incipient cell, and placed on the innermost sides, 

 so that in a group of several cells the eggs are close together, 

 only separated by the thin cellular walls. In a completed cell 

 the egg is placed very near the bottom. 



For several days a Polistes Canadensis was engaged in build- 

 ing its nest in my tent in camp near Washington. When first 

 noticed on June 9th, there were three cells, two of which con- 

 tained eggs; and it was not for two days, the llth, that the 

 third cell was completed, and a third egg deposited in it. The 

 wasp paid especial attention to strengthening the pedicel, going 

 over it repeatedly for an hour or two with its tongue, as if lay- 

 ing on more silken matter, and then proved the work by its 

 swiftly vibrating antennae. It would often fly out of the tent, 

 and on its return anxiously examine each cell, thrusting its head 

 deep down into each one. It gradually became accustomed to 

 my presence, but eventually abandoned the nest, without adding 

 more cells. The others, while at work on the bushes, abscond- 

 ed at my approach, and seemed very wary and distrustful, as 

 if desirous of concealing their abodes. Mr. Smith has found 

 Trigonalys bipustulatus to be a parasite on Polistes lanio Fabr. 

 (P. Canadensis Linn.), from St. Salvador, S. A. 



Saussure arranges the higher Vespidse into two parallel series. 

 Vespa is offset by Chartergus and Nectarina ; lower down we 

 find Tatua and Synoeca, while Polistes is offset by Polybia. 

 These five genera are tropical, and in their habits, the general 

 appearance of their nests, and in the number of individuals 

 represent Vespa and Polistes of the temperate zone. The 



