VESPA, THE PAPER-MAKER 



The wise men call her Vespa macu- of cold weather the nest is deserted and 



lata, but to us she is plain Hornet. Most its once busy and bustling inmates crawl 



of us, no doubt, have seen her great about in an aimless sort of fashion, 



paper nest, perched under the eaves of numb with cold- and miserable gen- 



a barn, or hung from the branches of an erally. Only the Queen, upon whom 



apple tree. It is probable too, that we rests the hope of the race, has power to 



have come in sharp contact with the survive the winter. Realizing the weight 



fiery lady herself, and have had ample of her responsibilities, she seeks out 



cause to remember the circumstance. some warm cranny, where with wings 



She has many cousins. Some of them and legs folded closely about her, she 



are carpenters, miners and masons, may sleep through the cold period. Of 



These belong to what is known as the the many who thus dispose themselves 



"Solitary" branch of the family. Others, in fall, comparatively few live to see the 



the *Taper-makers," are social in their spring. Sometimes an unusually hard 



habits. They live in communities, and frost penetrates their chosen retreat; 



rear their young in common habitations, again a heavy rain may wash them out, 



There are three genera of Paper-makers or a bird, in search of his breakfast find 



in the United States. Polyhia, found their hiding place. If, however, good 



only in California; Polistes, the well- luck attends her, Vespa awakes in the 



known brown wasp, who builds her pret- spring, full of plans for the new colony, 



ty paper combs, without a protecting which she alone must found, for unlike 



outer wall ; and Vespa, including our the Queen Bee, she has no helpers ready 



friend the Hornet, and another familiar to labor for her. Vespa, however, does 



acquaintance, the yellow jacket. not shrink from the big task before her. 



Vespa maculata may be known by her After throwing off her torpor in the 



white face, and the white markings on warm sunshine, and eating a breakfast, 



her body. She is the largest and most for which her months of fast have, no 



distinguished of her family and her nest, doubt, given her an appetite, she gets 



in its delicacy and beauty, is a wonder- down to real work. 



ful piece of insect architecture. Her tools are a remarkable pair of 



Not without reason has she been jaws which have been gradually adapted 

 called the first paper-maker. While to her needs. After choosing, and alight- 

 Egypt still traced her records on stone, ing on an old stump, she begins to gnaw 

 or on the inner bark of the papyrus, the the wood fibre, lengthwise of the grain, 

 ancestors of Vespa, were manufactur- To watch her when so engaged, is ex- 

 ing a paper, that man has finally learned tremely interesting. She is the perfect 

 to make after the same principle; for embodiment of restless activity. Bend- 

 paper is only vegetable fibre reduced to ing down her head, she plies her strong 

 pulp, and pressed into sheets. jaws until a bit of wood is dislodged; 



In the Wasp community the female is her wings, meanwhile, being kept in a 



unquestionably the better-half. The state of continual agitation, and her legs 



male is necessary, but on the whole, su- incessantly lifted and set down except 



perfluous in the hard work of life. Like at the moment of dislodging the wood, 



the worker, he dies in the fall, and leaves when they are stijfened and braced for 



his partner to bear her responsibilities a strong tug. Then she spreads her 



alone. As this is a circumstance over wings, and is off to another spot, where 



which he has no control, he is not to be she goes through similar antics. At last 



blamed for it. having gathered a small ball of wood 



Unlike the bee, the Wasp colony ex- fibre, she throws herself back upon her 



ists for a season only. At the approach two pairs of hind legs, and standing thus 



29 



