36 THE SOCIAL WASPS 



wasp is not a common species in the south, but 

 in the midlands and north it is abundant. 

 Wasps will eat most things, but are especially 

 fond of syrups and sweets. One species, Vespa 

 sylvestris, which seldom enters our houses, is 

 very partial to the flowers of Scrophularia (Fig- 

 wort). One rarely finds a plant of this in full 

 blossom without finding its attendant wasps. 

 I have seen other species of wasps also visiting 

 it, but sylvestris is practically sure to be there. 

 The diet which wasps provide for their larvae 

 is probably a mixed one, but consists largely 

 of insects. Dr. Ormerod says that a micro- 

 scopic examination of the contents of a larval 

 stomach shows "the mass to consist of scales, 

 hairs and other fragments of insects, hairs of 

 vegetables and other substances less easy of 

 recognition." 



Wasps do not store honey in their nest ; the 

 papery nature of their cells would make such 

 storage impossible. I dare say some of my 

 readers will have noticed wasps sitting in the 

 sun on a wooden paling busily engaged appar- 

 ently eating something they are really pulling 

 off little fibres of wood which they chew up into 



