438 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



often the case. The walls of the chamher they consider a suffi- 

 cient protection for the combs. 



" If you expect them to form a substantial covering, the combs 

 must be so placed as to have ample space around them, and if 

 you expect them to fabricate a covering of great beauty, you 

 must select the richest coloured woods, and such as form the 

 most striking contrasts, and place them so that the insects shall 

 be induced, nay, almost compelled, to use them in the construc- 

 tion of their nest. This is exactly what I did with reference to 

 the nest in question." 



Knowing from experience the difficulty of assaulting a 

 Hornet's nest, I asked Mr. Stone how he performed the task, 

 and was told that his chief reliance was placed on chloroform. 

 Approaching very cautiously to the nest, he twists some cotton 

 wool round the end of a stick, soaks it in chloroform, and 

 pushes it into the aperture. A mighty buzzing immediately 

 arises, but is soon silenced by the chloroform, and as soon as this 

 result has happened, mallet, chisel, and saw are at work, until 

 the renewed buzzing tells that the warlike insects are recovering 

 their senses, and will soon be able to use their formidable 

 weapons. The chloroform is then re-applied until they are 

 quieted, and the tools are again taken up. 



The extrication of a nest from a hollow tree is necessarily a 

 long and tedious process, on account of the frequent interrup- 

 tions. Even if the insects did not interfere with the work, the 

 labour of cutting a nest out of a tree is much harder than could 

 be imagined by those who have not tried it. 



Moreover, the habits of Hornets are not quite like those of the 

 wasps. At night, all the wasps retire into their nest, and in the 

 dead of night the nest may be approached with perfect safety, 

 the last stragglers having come home. Hornets are apt to con- 

 tinue their work through the greater part of the night, and if the 

 moon be up, they are nearly sure to do so. Therefore, the nest- 

 hunters are obliged to detail one of their party as a sentinel, 

 whose sole business it is to watch for the Hornets that come 

 dropping in at intervals, laden with building materials or food, 

 and that would at once dash at the intiuders upon their 

 domains. Fortunately, the light from the lanterns seems to 

 blind them, and they can be struck down as they fiy to and fro 

 in the glare. 



