BRITISH WASPS AND THEIR NESTS. 3a 3 



the German Wasp ( Vespa gei^raanica). The hitter, however, 

 may be known by three black spots upon the edge of the first 

 segment of the abdomen. In the construction of the nest, the 

 former insect uses decaying, and the latter sound wood. Con- 

 sequently, the nests of the former insect are of a paler and 

 greyer Ime than those of the latter. I have seen a nest which 

 was made by a double swarm of Wasps, one half of each species. 

 The nest was a singularly beautiful one, the grey and warm 

 brown being curiously variegated, according to the i^ortions 

 made by the different species. The nest was preserved by Mr. 

 Stone, and given by him to Mr. F. Smith. 



It has already been mentioned that some of the WasjDs build 

 their nests in tlae open air. One of these insects, together with 

 its nest, is drawn on Plate XI. Fig. 3. This is called the TitEE- 

 Wasp {Vespa arhorea\ because its nests are suspended from 

 the brandies of trees and bushes, the Wasp sometimes choosing 

 quite a low bush, and sometimes building iu a lofty tree-branch. 

 In this insect, the ' scape,' i.e. the long joint of the antennae, 

 is yellow in front, in both sexes, and there are three black 

 spots on the clypeus. The nest is very delicately and beau- 

 tifully made, and, in spite of the apparently fragile nature of 

 its structure, is perfectly able to resist the weather. The nest 

 is suspended by an elongated footstalk, running for nearly an 

 inch parallel with the twig to which the nest is suspended. 



Another species, the Norway Wasp ( Vespa Korvegica), also 

 builds in trees, and the nest is very similar to that of tJie 

 former insect. A specimen in my collection shows very plainly 

 the successive coverings that have been made by the mother 

 insect. There are only five cells, and the outer covering has 

 been drawn about half way over that which actually protecti^ 

 the cells. On holding it up to the light and looking at it, the 

 streaks made by the Wasp, while spreading the papery paste, 

 are as plain as those of a painter's brush on the canvas, and the 

 outer covering is so thin that the light can be plainly seen 

 shining through it. Compensation, however, is found for this 

 delicacy by the fact that the several coverings, eacli standing 

 a little from the other, protect the cells far better than would 

 be the case if there were but one covering, and that a very 



thick and strong one. 



A a 



