THE GOLD-BANDED PAPER-MAKER 161 



to determine the length of its larval period, 

 and although the Naturalist had kept it alive 

 for twenty days after its mother had disap- 

 peared, it was apparently no larger than when 

 she last fed it herself. While his careful min- 

 istration had been sufficient to enable the 

 larger larvae to complete their growth, the 

 food which he was able to supply did not meet 

 the needs of the very young ones. Either it 

 was not suitable in quality, or it was not prop- 

 erly prepared or supplied in proper quantity 

 or at the proper time. At any rate, he did not 

 succeed in raising any of the larvae that were 

 not more than half grown at the death of their 

 mother. 



About this time he found still another small 

 nest under the eaves of his study, and having 

 given up hope of further success by hand, he 

 pinned this nest beside the other to see whether 

 there would be any better success in getting the 

 orphans adopted than in the previous instance. 

 The weather was still cool and wet. The 

 summer of 1915 was a record-breaker in this 

 respect. A week later the Naturalist ex- 

 amined the two other nests of the same kind, 

 only to find them deserted, the mother wasps 

 having disappeared. The nest which he had 



