isr 



CHAPTER XIV. 



PENSILE INSECTS. 



The Hymenoptera — The Tatua, or Dutchman's Pipe — Structure and 

 Shape of its Nest — Firmness of the Walls — Average number of Cells in each 

 Tier— The Norwegian Wasp — Structure and Locality of its Nest— The 

 Campanular Wasp and the Northern Wasp— Honey Wasps, the general 

 characteristics of their Nests — The Myrapetra — Its singular Nest — Struc- 

 ture of the Walls and use of the Projections — The Nectarinia — Why so 

 called — Locality of the Nest — Size of the Insect — Ichneumon Flies — Different 

 species of Microgaster, and their Habitations — The Atlas Moth — The 

 Housebuilder Moth and its movable Dwelling — The Tiger Moth and 

 its Hammock — The Barnet Moth and its Cocoon — The Oak Eggar and 

 Little Eggar Moths — Various Leaf-rollers — Suspended Cocoon — Leaf- 

 BURROW^ERS and their Homes — The Spider. 



We now leave the birds, and proceed to the insects which make 

 pensile nests. Some of them, such as those which will be first 

 described, do not become pensile architects until they have 

 attained their perfect state ; while many others form their nests, 

 either as a place of refuge during their larval life, or as an 

 asylum in which they can rest while in the transition state of pupa. 

 Just as the Hymenoptera are the best burrowers, so are they 

 the best insect artizans when the nests are suspended, and we 

 shall therefore take them first in order. 



In the accompanying illustration may be seen two specimens 

 of a remarkable pensile nest that is made by a wasp called 

 Tatua 7noriOy an insect which is notable for having the basal 

 segment of the abdomen narrowed into long and slender foot- 

 stalks, not unlike that of the Eumenes, and others. 



The nest of this species is made of the papery substance 

 used by many wasps, except that the material is so hard and 

 smooth as to fesemble white cardboard. The general form of 

 the nest is shown in the engraving, being somewhat like a 



