Selby on Wasps. 183 



lower or inner edge. Tegulse yellow. Scutellum with two yel- 

 low spots. The first two abdominal segments generally tinged 

 with yellowish-brown. Nests in hedges, and about the roots of 

 trees immediately below the surface. 



Vespa Britannica. Antenna?, with the scape, or first joint on 

 the under or fore side, bright yellow. Emargination, or canthus 

 of eye, black, bordered on the lower side by a narrow, short, 

 yellow streak. Tegulse brown. A yellowish-brown spot on the 

 sides of the first two abdominal segments in most specimens. 

 Scutellum with two small yellow spots. Nests suspended in 

 trees, outhouses, hedges, &c. 



All these species possess the anchor-shaped mark, more or 

 less defined, upon the forehead. 



The Vespa sylveslris, which I have mentioned as having been 

 met with in the neighbourhood of Newcastle-on-Tyne, has the 

 face plain yellow. The antennae, with the frontal part of the 

 scape, bright yellow. Two yellow spots on the scutellum. Ab- 

 domen bright gamboge-yellow barred with black, and without 

 the side-spots possessed by the other species. Nests in out- 

 houses, &c. 



PLATE VIII. 



Fig. 1. V. vulgaris, showing the four scutellar yellow spots. 



2. Eye, showing the yellow canthus or emargination. 



3. Front view of head. 



4. Antennae. 



5. Figure of a worker, showing the four scutellar spots. 



6. V. rufa, showing the two yellow scutellar spots. 



7. Showing the black canthus of the eye with the yellow streak. 



8. Side view of head. 



9. V. Britannica, showing the two yellow scutellar spots. " 



10. Canthus of eye, black, with short yellow streak. 



11. Front view of head, showing the yellow portion of the scape of 



the antennae. 



12. Antennae, showing the yellow upon the scape. 



13. Figure of a worker. 



14. Nest of V. Britannica. 



15. Nest of V. vulgaris. 



Since writing the preceding observations, I find, by a letter 

 from Mr. Frederick Smith, of the British Museum, that the 

 Wasps I took some years ago, and which I thought I had lost 

 or mislaid, were in fact sent by me (a circumstance that had 

 escaped my memory) to the Rev. H. Hope," and proved to be 

 specimens of Smith's Vespa arborea. This species, therefore, 

 may now be added to the list, and I expect another season may 

 enable me to make a further addition in the form of the V. Ger- 



