751 : A. EF. Verrili—The Bermuda Islands. 339 
Polistes perplexus Cresson, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., iv, p. 245, 1872. 
This wasp, originally described from Texas, was recorded by W. 
Ff’. Kirby as taken at Bermuda by the Challenger Exped., in April 
and June. (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., xiii, p. 410, 1884.) 
The male Polistes (fig. 106) was determined by Mr. Ashmead. In 
alcohol the head is black above, with the front yellowish brown, 
this color extending as a band below and behind the eyes, but 
interrupted dorsally. Thorax black above with a rufous brown stripe 
in front of each wing insertion, meeting anteriorly; two transverse 
dorsal spots of the same on the middle, and a pair of yellow stripes 
106 
107 
Figure 106.—Bermuda Wasp (Polistes perplexus); male; x11. The photo- 
graph, made from dried specimen, did not define the black and orange 
bands of the abdomen, which are less distinct after drying and required 
retouching. Figure 107.—The same; female; x11. Phot. by A. H. V. 
farther back; abdomen orange-brown, banded with black, each 
band usually covering the proximal half of a segment and the 
distal margin of the one in front, on which it often forms a lunate 
spot ; on the second enlarged segment it forms a dorsal triangular 
black spot, acute distally; legs orange-brown, darker on the femora. 
Wings orange-brown, or rufous brown, the veins darker. Length, 
22™™; abdomen 12™". Described from specimens taken from alcohol 
and still moist ; when dry the color-markings are less distinct, the 
black bands on the abdomen being scarcely visible ; its surface is 
covered with short, close, orange-brown hairs, obscuring the dark 
bands. Midsummer, T. G. Gosling. 
Female (dry) smaller than the male described; head rufous brown; 
a black shield-shaped mark between the eyes and a narrow transverse 
