THE WASPS. 371 



well described by the late Mr. Frederick Smith, that we cannot do better than quote his account of 

 them. It relates apparently to the Common Wasp ( Vespa vidyaris), and is as follows : " Haviii" 

 found some hole in a situation adapted to her purpose, she proceeds to enlarge it and to form a 

 subterranean chamber of suitable dimensions. Her next operation is to collect materials wherewith 

 to lay the foundation of the nest itself. This is constructed of the raspings or scrapings of different 

 kinds of wood. Having produced a supply, she first constructs a footstalk sufficiently strong to support 

 the first two or three layers of cells. At the end of the column or footstalk she forms three cup-shaped 

 receptacles ; these are of course reversed, hanging bellwise; the depth of each is about the tenth of an 

 inch. The Wasp now constructs a covering over the foundation-cells like an umbrella. An egg is 

 deposited in each cup, and she then proceeds to construct additional ones, depositing an egg in each 

 as soon as completed. By this time the eggs first deposited are hatched, and the larvae now require a 

 portion of her attention. The larvae of Wasps grow rapidly, and, with the growth of the grubs, she 

 from time to time raises the walls of the cells. The cells in the foundation-comb are never carried up 

 higher than the length of the larva. As it increases day by day, the Wasp adds a fresh course of wall 

 until the larva is full grown, when it covers itself in by spinning a convex cap to the cell of a tough, 

 white, silky texture. The angles of the planes of the hexagons are determined by the points of con- 

 tact of the circular bases. From these the Wasp gradually commences the flattened sides of the 

 hexagons, at first a little curved, but at a slight elevation the sides become perfectly flattened planes, 

 and as such are carried up to the required height." 



The food of the larvae, as of the perfect Wasps, consists in part of honey, which the latter obtain 

 either directly from flowers or by plundering the Bees, in part of portions of succulent fruits, and in 

 part of animal matters, and as soon as her first eggs are hatched the parent Wasp furnishes the 

 larvae with the necessary supplies of food. When their development is completed the young Wasps 

 pass but a short time ia the pupa state, and then emerge in the form of workers, which at once assist 

 the female in the labours of the nest. Fresh combs are added beneath the foundation comb ; the 

 protective covering is enlarged and carried down in proportion as the building of the cells progresses, 

 until at last, in the case of the Common Wasp and many other species, the nest forms a large ovate 

 body, with a surface of rough paper, having a single opening for the ingress and egress of the 

 inhabitants at the bottom. Within this the great business of reproduction goes on rapidly ; workers 

 are produced in great numbers ; then females make their appearance, and finally males the last only 

 at the approach of autumn. After these and the young females have quitted the nest for their nuptial 

 flight, the remaining inhabitants of the nest seem to have some consciousness that the end of their 

 own lives is approaching, and that they will be unable to rear the young brood still in the combs. 

 By a singular instinct, they proceed to pull the grubs out of the cells, carry them outside of the nest, 

 and, after conveying them some distance from its entrance, di*op them on the ground to die. 



The general habits of the Social Wasps are pretty uniform except in the matter of their archi- 

 tecture, and in this respect they display a remarkable variety. Besides the Common Wasp ( Vespa 

 mdgaris), two other species found in Britain which build in the ground follow the same principles in 

 the construction of their nests ; but the Hornet ( Vespa crabro), which is remai-kable among European 

 Wasps for its large size, builds its nest usually in the hollow of a tree, and the material of which it is 

 composed is derived from the bark of trees, and often betrays its diversity of origin by the different 

 colours of the successive portions added to the structure. Both the Hornet and the Common Wasp 

 frequently build their nests under the eaves of houses, or attached to a beam under the roof, and in 

 these cases the outer covering of the nest is thinner and more delicate in texture than when the 

 dwelling is exposed to the vicissitudes of the weather. Some species of the genus Vespa make nests 

 without any covering, and this is the general case with those of another genus (Polistes), the numerous 

 species of which are spread over all parts of the world. The nests of these insects consist of combs of 

 various sizes attached by means of short columns to the twigs and smaller branches of trees and shrubs, 

 and freely exposed to the air. One well-known species is the Polistes gallica, which is common, in 

 France and Germany and throughout the south of Europe. Upon this species Prof. Siebold made some 

 interesting observations confirmatory of his theory that the males of the Social Hymenoptera are 

 produced from the unfertilised eggs of workers or females. Other species, of which the best-known 

 inhabiting Britain is the Wood Wasp (Vespa sylvestris), build more or less oval nests, which they 



