Mr. A.^^Tiite on a S. American Wasp which collects Honey. 269 



don, who presented this nest to the national collect ion, has \n-ittcn 

 to me that it was on the banks of the " Nancay, a tributary stream 

 of the Uruguay," that the nest was foimd. He has sent me the 

 accompanying note, which, as it contains some matter that may 

 prove interesting to the cunous, I here insert, only premising 

 that I informed Mr. Hawkins that it was a wasp and not a bee 

 that constructed it, as he originally suspected. It was the opi- 

 nion of the late Professor Audouin, that the Myrapetra scutellaris 

 (Ann. and Mag. /. c.) was, like Nomada, Psithyrus, &c. among the 

 bees, a parasite, and that the wasp constructing it was as yet mi- 

 known. As far as I can at present see, I know not the groimds 

 for this opinion of the learned and amiable French natm-alist. 



" A wasp's nest with a portion of wild honey in it was discovered 

 in June 1837 in the woods situated along the banks of the ' Nan- 

 cay/ a tributai-y stream of the 'Uniguay,' whichtakes its rise in the 

 province of ' Entre-rios.' The 'Uruguay' joins the ' Paran.V a few 

 miles above Buenos Ayres, and forms the ' Kio de la Plata.' This 

 nest was cut off from the living branch of a tree, wherefrom it 

 himg suspended at the height of about seven feet from the ground, 

 by John A^Tiitaker, plumber and steam-apparatus-maker, and 

 Matthew La^n-ance, his foreman. The apertures for ingress and 

 egress have been constructed with admirable ingenuity in order 

 to prevent the entrance of rain, which is carried off by a pent- 

 like projection near the avenues to the cellular cavities. 



" The principal materials whereof this nest is constructed, are 

 the excrement of the Carpincho and dried rushes and underwood. 

 The Carpincho is a species of Tapir or "Water Hog, and is am- 

 phibious ; they are very numerous on the banks of the Uruguay, 

 and are preyed on by the tigers" [jaguars ? Felis onca."] 



" The tiger is the most powerful enemy the wasps have to deal 

 with, for he springs upon the well-stored nest, and notwith- 

 standing its height, vei-y frequently succeeds in dashing it to the 

 ground ; he then shields himself in the thick foliage of the under- 

 wood from the stings of the enraged wasps, who usually migrate 

 elsewhere in quest of another home. The tiger then, unmolested, 

 retm*ns to the fallen and deserted nest and devours the honey- 

 combs : the scattered fragments of wasps' nests, thus destroyed by 

 the feline and ferocious inhabitants of the forest, are frequently 

 met with. 



" Extreme length, including the twig on which the nest is sus- 

 pended, 21 inches. The length of the nest is 17 inches, and its 

 depth 11." 



