102 INSTINCT OF THE WASP. 
Of water fowl, properly so called, we have very few varieties. 
The Barnacle Goose has been killed here on one occasion; and 
swans and wild geese frequent the lakes to the south and east; 
but hardly ever stop at the river. The wild Duck, and common 
Teal breed sparingly on the moors; and in hard winters the 
golden-eyed Garrot, the red-breasted Merganser, and the Goos- 
ander are by no means uncommon. 
Some years ago, a fine specimen of the genuine Arctic Lestris 
was shot by Mr. Allgood, of Nunwick, on the Chirdon moors, 
and is now in that gentleman’s possession. 
The lesser black backed Gull breeds on a moss some miles to 
the north of Bellingham. 
We have merely drawn up these notes from memory, after 
having had little opportunity of studying personally of late 
years the ornithology of this, our native district. 
XIX.— Curious instinct of Wasps. By Tuomas Joun Botp. 
Wuitst searching for insects, near Little Benton, on the evening 
of the first day of August, I noticed great numbers of Wasps 
very busy amongst a bed of the common thistle (Carduus pra- 
tensis), and on looking closely to their proceedings was much 
surprised to find that, instead of their being, as usual, in search 
of insects, they were feeding upon the sap of the thistles; and 
moreover had themselves cut off the thistle heads to come at the - 
enclosed sap. Now the act of cutting off the thistle heads, with 
intent to procure food, may seem too near an approach to reason 
for a wasp, but we must recollect that the whole tribe to which 
they belong are celebrated for their instincts. One wasp I saw 
in the act of decapitation, having gnawed the stem in two, about 
one inch below the head. ‘The colony of wasps (Vespa vulgaris) 
was ina hedge row, contiguous to the bed of thistles; and I 
watched their proceedings for some time to ascertain if this was 
an accidental or a usual means of procuring food. JI think the 
latter, for they flew direct from the nest to the thistles, alighted 
on the stem, ran up until they came to the headless and bleeding 
