376 THE REV. F. A. WALKER; D.D., F.L.S:, ON 
to what he might have observed of hornet presence in the 
past season, he informed me that ‘hornets’ had been more 
numerous than ever remembered in that locality, and also 
for a few miles round. Eight nests had come under his 
wn observation, and he had heard of others being taken 
at a short distance beyond the extent of his own walks. 
Later on, on November 9th, Mr. Hiam favoured me with the 
results of his further inquiries as to amount of hornets’ nests 
observed and damage done by the insects as follows :-—‘ I 
find there were about a score of nests within a few 
miles that were known of, and doubtless others in woods 
and lonely places would escape observation. Considerable 
damage was done in gentlemen’s gardens to wall fruits of 
the best sorts, and also to fruit in orebards, and in the fields 
to cider fruit ; but the latter has been so plentiful and cheap 
that it is hardly worth taking mto account. 
“¢T have taken a large quantity of queen hornets from 
various nests, some of which I have alive now (November 
9th). This will materially lessen the number of nests nex 
season, but from what I know of several colonies in in- 
accessible positions, in roofs of houses and otherwise, a large 
increase may be expected.’ 
*“ Mr. Hiam further remarked with regard to the habit of 
the hornets of strippimg young bark :—‘ Near one hornets’ 
nest [ noticed the young ash sticks had been stripped in 
pieces of the bark all round, or in other cases in patches, 
which is not unusual, but for the exact purpose I am not 
quite certain, because the combs, and paper covering on 
the outside of nests, appear to be composed entirely of dead 
rotten wood, nicely blended in coloured layers. Hornets 
also take the sap oozing from wounds, whether caused by 
hornets or otherwise, of the elm, and also tap dahlia stems, 
and suck the flowing sap.’ ” 
Pages 124, 125. 
“Some very good figures of shoots of ash and also of birch, 
injured by removal of bark by the hornets, will be found at 
page 405 of the valuable volume by Dr. J. Ritzema Bos on 
animals injurious and useful in agriculture, horticulture, etc. 
Dr. Ritzema Bos, speaking on the following page of the 
damage done by wasps (including in this, of course, hornets) 
in this way, notes that although the building material is 
chiefly of rotten wood, they will gnaw down to the sap 
