126 WASPS. 



and it was obvious many more nests must still be remaining, from the 

 great number of Wasps that were still observable. 



Mr. C. D. Wise, writing from the Toddington Orchard Company's 

 Grounds, Winchcomb, mentioned : — " Wasps were a terrible nuisance 

 to us in our vineries, and did an enormous amount of damage. I hope 

 you will be able to give us some remedy." 



Cornwall. — From Coosenwartha, Scorrier, Mr. Geo. Thomas wrote 

 me, on the 7th of September, regarding Wasps : — " They never were 

 so plentiful in this county as at present, indeed they are a nuisance." 

 . . . "I used to destroy them by screwing paper thus " (here a sketch 

 was given of a piece of paper twisted into a funnel-shape. — Ed.), 

 " tarring the outside, and thrusting it in their holes, and in the night, 

 pouring paraffin, and setting fire to it. 



" But there are several kinds. The kind I am writing of we call 

 the ' Apple-bee,' the abdomen is striped with yellow and black." Not 

 being aware of this peculiar name for Wasps, I enquired of the daughter 

 of a Cornish farmer resident here whether she had ever heard it, and 

 she told me that until about four years ago {i. e., until she came out of 

 Cornwall), she never heard them called anything else. " There were 

 Honey-bees and Apple-bees, and the Apple-bees built paper nests in 

 hedges." — Ed. 



Guernsey. — The following notes, with which I was favoured by 

 Mr. F. Hutchesson, 1, Queen's Eoad, Guernsey, notice prevalence of 

 Wasps beyond the usual amount in the island, but still not in numbers 

 sufficient to do serious damage : — "I think we are singularly free of 

 Wasps here ; this year they have certainly plagued us more than usual, 

 with the result of spoiling fruit, especially Figs and Plums. They 

 have been more numerous than I ever remember, but their numbers 

 would not, I think, have been considered out of the way in an ordinary 

 season in England. 



" I have never heard of a Wasps' nest in Guernsey in a bush ; here 

 they appear to prefer old banks, and as the fields are nearly always 

 fenced by a bank, they do not make their nests where they could be 

 disturbed by horses ploughing. In fact, I think I may say that 

 although Wasps have been more plentiful than usual, they have done 

 no material harm." 



Kent. — The following notes refer to number of nests observed, and 

 also to methods found to answer for destroying them, and were kindly 

 sent me on the 2nd of October, in reply to my enquiries, by Mr. W. 

 Gardner, of Bekesbourue, Kent: — "I have deferred writing to you re 

 Wasps until I could get some fairly reliable information, and I may say 

 the pests have been destroyed or taken (I cannot quite vouch for every 

 one of them being destroyed) to the extent of nearly two hundred nests 



