M^- 



THE NATURE BOOK 



little group meets, and the complete comb 

 is formed. Tn this manner are the various 

 terraces produced, and as the cells are all 

 arranged mouth downwards, their bases 

 serve as stages for the workers to mo\-e 

 about upon while they feed the de\'elop- 

 ing gmbs in the tiers above. With 

 this increased production of cells, the 

 queen can no longer assist in the work 

 of building, or of tending the 3'oung, 

 for her whole time is devoted to de- 

 positing eggs in the cells prepared by 

 the workers. 



The broken nest shown on pp. 368 

 and 369 makes the whole matter clear 

 as to the arrangement of the cells and 

 their suspended terraces or combs, while 

 the illustration of the exterior of the 

 nest on p. 368 re\'eals its papery covering 



more in detail, and shows its shelly 

 patches, each of which is composed 

 of numerous tiny bands of paper pre- 

 pared by the man}' workers that built 

 the city. 



On pp. 370 and 371 are shown examples 

 of tree building Wasps' nests, which differ 

 from the species that build underground 

 only in respect to the site selected for 

 their dwelling and in minor details that 

 need not be considered here. Indeed the 

 story of all species of British social 

 Wasps is much the same. Each thriving 

 city commences with the labours of the 

 hibernated queen ; each thriving city 

 terminates with the wreck and ruin 

 of its wonderful fabric after the sexual 

 generations ha\-e appeared just before 

 winter. 



John J. Ward. 



KUINS OF A WASP'S NEST THAI a;kAPED Ol I \M< i 



Wasps' nests are esteemed a luxury by badgers. 



