250 PARTHENOGENESIS VII 



they hatch. She feeds them on caterpillars and other 

 soft insects, first removing the alimentary canal (as 

 cooks take out the entrails of a fish), and carefully 

 applying the morsel to the lips of each larva. This 

 process takes some time for one " hand," and hence 

 the first brood is longer in coming to perfection than 

 later broods, in the rearing of which the elder progeny 

 assist. In the middle of June the first lot make their 

 appearance, all small females ready to assist their parent 

 in the advancement of her enterprise. The later broods 

 develop more rapidly and acquire larger size from 

 being better nourished, and towards the end of June 

 (no drones being as yet born) the females which come 

 forth are as large as the old queen ; they may, however, 

 be easily distinguished from her by their comparative 

 freshness of colour and wing. Great care is displayed 

 in guarding the nest. At night the queen goes to 

 sleep after having carefully inspected each cell, taking 

 up her position at the hinder side of the nest. If she 

 is disturbed in the night, she takes another survey of 

 her house before again going to sleep. In the day- 

 time if disturbed she makes an immediate attack on 

 the enemy with her sting, and then flies back to her 

 nest. She can sting several times, since the barbs on 

 her weapon are not too long to allow of its being with- 

 drawn. Ants are amongst the most common of the 

 many insect enemies of these w r asps, and when one 

 ventures into the nest, the whole colony sting it to 

 death, and immediately throw the body out. Birds 

 are, however, not thus to be got rid of, and destroy im- 

 mense numbers of the nests, so that Siebold was 



