CHAPTER IV 



NESTING IN A BOTTLE 



Queer Place Selected by a Wasp in Which to Build a Nest 

 Subsequent Raid of a Skunk 



In a six-ounce bottle that I had been using 

 as a trap for beetles, at Larkcrest, near 

 Pleasanton. I found that a wasp of the genus 

 Polistes had started a nest of nine cells. The 

 bottle had a wide mouth, and I usually placed 

 it in a slightly reclining position in a depres- 

 sion on a bank sheltered by a board. A little 

 oil or piece of animal fat served to attract 

 beetles which, after entering the bottle, did 

 not seem to be able to get out again. This 

 trap I visited and collected the victims as 

 often as I went to Larkcrest. This Spring my 

 visits had not been as frequent as usual, and 

 some six weeks had passed prior to June 5th 

 without an inspection of the trap. On this 

 day I put my hand under the board and 

 brought out the bottle, and to my great sur- 

 prise I saw that a wasp had started a nest in 

 it and the "lady of the house" was "at home." 

 I was so startled by the nearby presence of 

 an insect with such a reputation for venom 

 that my first impulse was to drop the bottle 

 and "beat it," as the boys say. However, 

 as Mrs. Polistes did not show any resentment 

 at my familiarity I took the opportunity to 

 see what she was doing in my trap. 



The cluster of cells comprising the nest 

 were hanging down in the form always con- 

 structed by this species of wasps. The stem 

 supporting the cluster was attached to the 

 bottle near the mouth. There were nine 

 cells, most of which were completed and con- 

 tained grubs or the larvae of the wasp. I 

 replaced the bottle under the board. Eight 

 or ten days later I again visited the place 

 and upon inspection of the nest found that 

 sevoral of the cells had been covered or 

 sealed up indicating that the grubs had en- 

 tered upon the next stage of the wasp's life 

 cycle. As I was spending the greater part of 

 the summer at Diablo, a distance of seven- 

 teen miles from Larkcrest, I concluded to re- 

 move the bottle with the wasp and embryo 

 family to the former place where I could bet- 

 ter watch the development of the little colony. 



The next day, early in the morning before 

 the mother wasp had become warmed suf- 

 ficiently to justify her going out for her 

 breakfast, I took the bottle and fastened a 

 piece of cheese cloth over the mouth, thus 

 preparing for the removal of the wasp home 

 and household. I put the bottle in my suit- 

 case with my clothes. Upon arrival at Diablo 

 I removed the bottle and found mother Polis- 

 tes perched on the nest without manifesting 

 the least discomfort or objection to the treat- 

 ment she had undergone. 



However, I concluded it would be well to 

 keep her a prisoner for another day as long as 

 she made no effort to go out. The next day 

 I placed the bottle on the ground under the 

 end of my porch and removed the cover. She 

 did not take immediate advantage of the lib- 

 erty thus presented as I was somewhat fear- 

 ful she would do, and all the surroundings 

 being changed, become bewildered and lost. 

 Judging from human experience she must 

 have been hungry after such a long impris- 

 onment. In the course of half an hour she 

 left the bottle. "Whatever it may have been 

 that prompted her to leave the nest, whether 

 to satisfy her appetite, inspect the new sur- 

 roundings, get a drink, or to procure ma- 

 terial for the construction of additional rooms 

 for an increasing family, I was unable to 

 determine. When I found she had left the 

 nest I knew I was soon to be informed as to 

 what effect the change of seventeen miles in 

 location of the nest and of entirely different 

 surroundings was going to have upon its 

 proprietress. 



I took a seat where I could easily see the 

 wasp if she were disposed and able to return 

 to the nest. In about a half-hour I was 

 greatly pleased to see her come back and 

 take a position on the nest as if she were 

 wholly indifferent to the alteration of the sur- 

 roundings. Her return meant that, with no 

 accidents to interfere, I was going to have 

 the opportunity of watching the proceedings 

 of nest-building, hatching, rearing of young, 

 etc., by this species of wasp under unusual and 

 most favorable conditions. 



For the first week there was nothing to 

 note beyond the starting of the bases of some 

 additional cells and laying of eggs therein. 

 At the end of this time one morning before 

 it was warm enough for the wasps to be 

 about, I found three wasps on the nest. It 

 was evident that at least two of the pupae 

 had matured and that two young wasps 

 had emerged from their cells and increased 

 the family to that extent. Within the next 

 day or two, two more wasps were added to 

 the family. The newcomers were as indus- 

 trious as their parent, for they began at once 

 to assist in adding more cells and completing 

 the cells partially constructed by their 

 mother, and in the performance of all the 

 other family housework. 



During the middle or heated part of the 

 day tne different memoers of the family were 

 making trips to and from the nest, presum- 

 ably for the material for enlarging the nest 



