124 WASPS [CH. V 



The domestic economy of the lower bees (Andrenidce, 

 etc.) is not greatly in advance of the above ; their chief claim 

 to superiority rests in the fact that it is vegetable food 

 (bee-bread) gathered as pollen from flowers that they lay 

 up for their offspring. In the ants, the honey bee, 

 bumble bees and wasps (s. s.) however we meet with the 

 elaborate social conditions of vast communities toiling 

 with one object the welfare of the race. Many indi- 

 viduals in each society devote their entire energies to the 

 work of building, foraging or nurturing the young, but 

 so complete is the division of labour take no direct part 

 in propagating the species. These sterile individuals 

 " Workers " may even exhibit differences among them- 

 selves in accordance with their respective duties. In any 

 case these Social Hymenoptera comprise males (Drones), 

 fertile females (Queens) and sterile females (Workers). 



There are seven (six if V. rufa and V. austriaca are but 

 varieties) species of Social Wasps (genus Vespa) found 

 in this country. Inasmuch as they are armed with a 

 poisonous sting it has proved advantageous to advertise 

 the dangerous quality to insectivorous foes. Accordingly 

 wasps are conspicuously marked with yellow and black 

 patterns. The seven species closely resemble each other 

 and thus confer mutual benefit upon each other by sharing 

 the losses sustained through trial-tasting on the part of 

 inexperienced animals, e.g. young birds. It has been esta- 

 blished beyond dispute that young insectivorous creatures 

 do not instinctively know, but have to learn by painful 

 experience (one lesson is usually enough), that conspi- 

 cuously coloured insects are as a rule dangerous or 



