102 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



garis does not. Moreover, the nest of V. vulgaris is spherical, whereas 

 that of V. rufa is considerably flattened at the poles. Again, the V. 

 rufa differs essentially from the V. vulgaris in not being a burrowing 

 Wasp. Its nest is generally situated quite superficially under the thick 

 moss of dry banks, or in some cavity near the surface already excavated. 

 Occasionally the V. rufa builds out of the ground ; and I have once or 

 twice found its nests under the window-sill, or in the decayed woodwork 

 round old outhouses. The interior of the nest is most remarkable, for 

 considerably more than two- thirds of the cells are for queens and males. 

 Now, this is a most curious fact. The consequence of this is, that in 

 the autumn the number of queens and males vastly exceeds that of the 

 workers ; and that the interior of the nest presents a very formidable, 

 but grand and imposing appearance, from the number of these huge in- 

 sects everywhere moving about. It is also worth remarking that, 

 though the females are so numerous, this Wasp does not seem to 

 increase by any means rapidly, as we should naturally have ex- 

 pected. 



There is still another most remarkable fact in the history of this 

 Wasp yet to be mentioned, and that is, that whereas the nest of V. vul- 

 garis is inhabited till late in November, that of the V. rufa is almost 

 totally abandoned by the end of September by its queens and all its in- 

 habitants. 



V. rufa feeds on small aphides, on honey, which it sucks like a bee 

 from flowers, and on various vegetable products. I gave sugar to some 

 Wasps of this species, and found that it quite enervated them from active 

 work, and they presented all the appearances of intoxication. V. rufa 

 is a peculiarly delicate Wasp, and if its nest is at all molested has not 

 the energy to repair the injuries inflicted. The nest of V. rufa is com- 

 posed of various vegetable tissues. I exhibited at the last meeting of 

 the Microscopical Club a specimen of the paper of this Wasp ; but no 

 definite conclusion was formed as to the component structures, although 

 it was suggested that the tissue resembled that of the Urtica urens. 



Vespa Britannica — the common tree Wasp — is very common in Ire- 

 land. Its nest is generally to be found on some branch near the ground. 

 It is particularly fond of building under the branches of young fir trees, 

 or in hawthorn hedges. Of the peculiar situations in which this Wasp 

 is sometimes to be found I give examples. I have twice seen it build in 

 a wren's nest; Mr. Shuchardhas found it in a sparrow's nest ; and from 

 various communications to " The Naturalist," made at different times, 

 it seems that it is not uncommon for it to build inside a beehive, the 

 nest being suspended from the combs. In all these cases the hive bees 

 were finally overcome, though they continued sedulously collecting 

 honey to the last. The nest of this insect is very beautiful. It is pear- 

 shaped, of a bluish colour, with a few leaves occasionally attached to 

 the outsid#to screen it from observation. The paper of which its nest 

 is, composted is of a very coarse structure. 



There is little very peculiar, as far as we as yet know, in the habits 

 of this species. Dr. Ormerod, in an interesting paper in "The Zoologist," 



