404 NATURAL HISTORY OF HAWAII. 



in a separate compartment provisioned with bee-bread — a food made of the 

 pollen from flowers mixed witli nectar. It has been observed tliat they gather 

 their supply of pollen principally from the bean-like plants. This bee was 

 introduced long ago and is widely distributed throughout the group. 



Wasps and ]\Iud-Daubers. 



Of the wasps, the species known as the mud-dauber.^"^ a species intro- 

 duced from America, is the one causing the most annoyance al)out the home. 

 It makes its nest of mud, wliich it delights in plastering under the eaves of 

 houses, on the ceilings of lanais, and in similar places. Their nests usually 

 have the form of several tubes an inch or more long placed side by side, which 

 are always provisioned with spiders. This family of wasps i*^'-"" is known as tli*^ 

 thread-waisted wasps, an allusion to the peculiar shape of the "hody. They 

 have a curious habit of jerking theii- wings freipuMitly in a nervous manner, 

 which is also (juite characteristic. 



The paper wasps i"" are those that build their nests in a single circular 

 comb suspended by a slender central support from the under side of the 

 rafters, or from under the leaves of bushes in the yard and garden. Three 

 closely-related species are ([uite common in Hawaii, but the bright yellow 

 species^"' is the most savage; the browner species ^"'^ is said to be less so. 

 Children soon learn to respect the rights of these "yellow jackets." as they 

 are commonly called, and never forget the lesson usually learned at first hand 

 from disturlung one of the gray paper nests that ai-e so zealously guarded by 

 the wasp iinnates against all who venture to intrude on their domain. 



If unmolested, however, the little colony will sit for hours at a time on 

 their paper home without attempting to sting anyone. After the young have 

 grown n\) they abandon the nest but remain about here and there until the 

 following Felnnunw. when tliey organize for business and proceed to make a 

 new nest, securing the silver-gray "pulp" used in its construction from fence- 

 posts, boards and dead wood generally. 



The Honey-Bee. 



The honey-bee, ^"^' although not a household nisect, is so intimately asso- 

 ciated Avith our domestic life that it may not be out of place to direct attention 

 to it as representing the highest group of the most exalted order of insects. 

 As an example of social life among insects, bees have been studied by natur- 

 alists for centuries, until there is probably no other insect of wliich man has 

 such an intimate acquaintance. They furnisb a subject of interest about Avhich 

 fascinating volumes have been written, and afford an ever-present object- 

 lesson in community life among our insect friends. By reason of their useful 

 products tbey have long lieeu of great economic importance to man. In Ha- 

 waii alone tbe annual output of honey is valued at tens of thousand of 

 dollars. 



104 Scelipin on rtrnit'ntariinii. i"^ Siilit'i/idd'. ^o" Tespidcr. i"" Polixfcx lii'br(riig. '"* Polixff.'! auriier. 



109 opis mvUifiea. 



