Entomological Society. 9463 



" The breeding of wasps in a semi-domesticated state in-doors was this year 

 attended with only partial success. I had at one time as many as eleven colonies of 

 various species at work in different windows of the house I have used as an establish- 

 ment for wasps for some years past, wis-., five of Vespa sjlvestris, two of V. rufa, two of 

 V. vulgaris, and two of V, germanica. These all went on satisfactorily enough for 

 some time, until at length, as the season advanced, the workers belonging to nests 

 round about the neighbourhood, which I had not been able to discover on account of 

 having but little time to search for them, began to increase, until their numbers 

 became enormous. These, attracted by the sugar with which mine were fed, came 

 crowding in swarms into the different boxes, thus at first impeding and ultimately 

 putting a complete stop to the work, not, however, until many of my nests had become 

 fine specimens, and two very extraordinary ones had been produced. 



" The facts connected with the production of these two specimens are as follow: — • 

 I had a colony of V. germanica at work in a box in the left hand corner of the window 

 of a room on the ground-floor, the nest having been removed from its original situation 

 under ground on the 10th of June. On the 18lh I took off the shell or covering, 

 which I put by for a specimen, having first neatly joined in the piece I had cut out in 

 order to take out the combs, which were then returned to their place for further work, 

 a plan I generally adopt when I wish to obtain specimens of nests of various sizes 

 from one set of combs. At that period there was nothing remarkable about the nest. 

 About the same time I obtained one of V. vulgaris, which was placed in a box in the 

 left hand corner of a window immediately above. It was not long before I obserred 

 that a strange variety of colouring was beginning to pervade the newly-formed covering 

 of the nest of V. germanica, and on looking more closely T could perceive that it was 

 partly composed of scrapings from sound wood, and partly from decayed, or touch- 

 wood ; and on carefully scrutinizing the individuals composing the colony, it was 

 found to consist in part of V, germanica and in part of V. vulgaris. It appeared, 

 therefore, that a number of workers from the nest in the room above had attached 

 themselves to this one. There was another nest of V. germanica in full work in the 

 opposite, or right hand corner of this same window, and as no specimens of V. vulgaris 

 were ever found in it, I conclude that those which had joined the other community 

 made no mistake' as to the corner of the window in which their own nest was situated, 

 but they miscalculated the height of the proper window from the ground, and so 'got 

 into the wrong box," but as they came provided with food or building material they 

 were not interfered with, but were allowed quietly to join in the work of the nest and 

 to make it their future home. Widely different would have been their reception had 

 they entered it for purposes of theft, or even if their intentions had appeared to be 

 suspicious ; for although wasps will often allow strangers of their own species to enter 

 their nests withont offering them any molestation, though they may have come for the 

 sake of plunder, they will not tolerate the presence of those of a different species under 

 such circumstances ; indeed I never before knew them admit of strangers of a different 

 species under any circumstances. 



" On the 20lh of July I again applied the scissors to this nest in order to remove 

 the covering, which as before, after joining in the piece I had cut out, I put by for a 

 specimen. I then took away the lower comb and reduced the others in size, returning 

 them to the box, and placing them in such a position that the insects should of 

 necessity produce a vase or goblet-shaped nest, which they did, and a splendid thing 

 it is, being, like the one previously formed, composed in part of paper manufactured 



