258 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
will be found a record of the hornet building in a perpendicular 
bank at the side of a river. Mr. Reeks’ observations on “Our 
Common Wasps,” in some particulars, do not accord with the 
results of my own observations and experieuce. Their number 
is said to be four; this applies, I conclude, to the species 
found in the neighbourhood of Thruxton. In the northern 
counties, and also in Scotland, their number would be five, 
Vespa norvegica being much more common than V. sylvestris. 
Of V. rufa, Mr. Reeks observes that he he has found it work- 
ing until very late in the autumn, even to the beginning of 
November. This is a circumstance quite unknown to me 
previously. In all the nests that I have watched, the wasps 
have concluded their labours by the latter part of August, and 
{ do not remember ever to have met with V. rufa later than 
the end of that month. My observations on V. vulgaris differ 
widely from those of Mr. Reeks, who says, “The males 
and workers are never seen after August.” This will not 
apply to the neighbourhood of London, where I have seen 
both these sexes plentiful up to the end of September, and 
workers I saw on the wing ten days ago, near Highgate. On 
the 29th of September last, being in Yorkshire, I saw both 
males and workers in plenty, feeding on ripe pears, to the 
great disgust of a reverend friend of mine. V. germanica was 
equally common. Mr. Reeks, no doubt, is thoroughly well 
acquainted with all the sexes of the four species common in 
his own neighbourhood, but I have considerable doubts of 
anyone being able to separate the males correctly of the two — 
commonest species, V. vulgaris and V. germanica, without an 
examination of the sexual organs; colour or markings, | am 
certain, from long experience, will not enable anyone to do 
so, and the workers of those species are also extremely 
difficult to separate: if whole colonies are examined, it will 
be found that the markings on the face are by no means 
constant. I have endeavoured to point out what I consider 
to be the best guides, in my work on the ‘Fossores and 
Vespide,’ published by the Trustees of the British Museum. 
The females of all the species are readily distinguished, as 
are also all the sexes of V. rufa, V. sylvestris, and V. norve- 
gica. I never met with the male of V. arborea, but have — 
received what I believe to be it from Northumberland and 
Carlisle: this species is very like V. rufa, but is rather 
larger, and also is a stouter insect, the legs being thicker, 
