258 H0MK5 WITHOUT HANDS. 



I may here nioution that, until a very late period, the history of 

 the wasp — whether British or foreign— was in dire chaos, the 

 species, sexes, and varieties being so confounded together, that 

 even the best entomologists could make nothinw of them. 



In Mr. Westwood's admirable "Classification of Insects,' 

 published in 1840, the following passage occurs, showing how 

 keenly an accomplished entomologist could feel the want of 

 sound information on a difficult subject. In Vol. II. of that 

 work, page 248, Mr. Westwood remarks as follows : " The specific 

 differences of the British species of wasps require a more minute 

 investigation than has yet been given to them. This can only 

 be done by studying the habits of the different species, in con- 

 junction with individuals of the different sexes from the nest of 

 each. Thirty years ago the necessity for such an inquiry was 

 pointed out by Latreille, who added ' Utinam exergat alius 

 Kirby, qui banc familiam elucubret' (i.e. 'Would that another 

 Kirby would arise, who would elucidate this family '). But the 

 wasps still remain in as great or greater confusion than they 

 were at that period." 



Since that time, the " other Kirby " has arisen in the person 

 of Mr. F. Smith, who has disentangled the knotty confusion in 

 which the wasps were enveloped, and has recorded his observa- 

 tions in the Catalogue of Hymenoptera in the British Museum, 

 published by order of the tmstees in 1858, some forty-eight 

 years after Latreille had invoked assistance. 



Of the species in question Mr. Smith remarks that it is rare 

 in the South and West of England, but is not uncommon in 

 Yorkshire and plentiful in Scotland. It seems to be a nocturnal 

 insect, for a collector of lepidoptera found that when " sugaring " 

 trees at night, for the purpose of attracting moths, numbers 

 of these wasjjs settled on the sweet bait, and not only were 

 more numerous than the lepidoptera, but actually resented 

 any attempts at dislodgment. 



The nest of this insect is always pensile, and is hung from 

 the branches of a tree or shrub, the fir and gooseberry being 

 the favourites. A pretty specimen in my own collection was 

 taken from a gooseberry-tree in a garden, and another similar 

 uest was found at no great distance. One of these nests I 

 presented to the British Museum, and the other is now before 

 me. It is very smnll, only having one " terrace," in which are 



