354 INSECTS AT HOME. 



Now we come to the largest and most formidable of the 

 British Wasps, the terrible Hornet ( Vespa crahro\ a figure of 

 which is given on Woodcut XXXV. Fig. 1. This figure re- 

 pio^oD's a perfect female of the natural size. The workers ai'e 

 iiiucL less, and, indeed, many worker Hornets are no bigger 

 tlian the common Wasp, from which, however, they can at once 

 be distinguished by the dark red-brown of their markings. 



The nest of the Hornet is exactly similar in character to that 

 of the common Wasp, but the cells are very much larger. The 

 nest is usually made in hollow trees ; and within a few hundred 

 yards of my house are several Hornets' nests — a fact which I 

 take care not to mention, lest any anxious parent should 

 destroy them, fearing that they might injure his children, a 

 fate that befell one of these nests last year. There is really not 

 the least occasion for fear. The Hornet has a great deal too 

 much Vo do to spend its time in stinging children, and, unless 

 its nest be attacked, it is peaceable enough. Mr. Stone kept 

 many Hornets' nests at work, and was no more stung by them 

 than a bee-master is stung by his bees. Outhouses and similar 

 places are favourite localities for Hornets' nests. 



The successful capture of a Hornets' nest is a very difficult 

 business, and that of a Wasps' is child's play i:) it. In the first 

 place, it is much more difficult to cut a nest out of a hollow 

 tree than to dig it out of the earth ; and in the next place, 

 the Hornet works all night, provided the moon shines, whereas 

 the Wasp stays at home. 



The food of the Hornet consists of other insects, and it has a 

 special liking for Wasps. My brother once saw a Hornet in 

 chase of some Atalanta butterflies, and the instinct exhibited by 

 the insect was really wonderful. In the open air the short- 

 winged, heavy-bodied Hornet would have no chance of catching 

 the ample-winged butterfly. So the Hornet kept flying back- 

 wards and forwards in front of the butterfly, until the Atalanta 

 thought to escape by flying through the branches of an elm 

 tree. Tliis was the object of the Hornet's mancEuvres, for it at 

 once dashed among the foliage, where the wide wings of the but- 

 terfly were at a disadvantage, captured the unfortunate Ata- 

 lanta, bit off its head and wings, and flew away with the body. 



Thk next tribe of Hymenoptera is that which is called An- 



