278 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 
ble a hundred feet away. The “low bush” from 
which it proceeded last year, was now a respect- 
able sapling, and the source far out of reach 
overhead. I discovered a roundish mass among 
the leaves, and the first.stroke of the ax sent the 
thythm up to once a second, but did not alter 
the timbre. A few blows and the small trunk 
gave way and I fled for my life. But there was 
no angry buzzing and I came close. After a ces- 
sation of ten or fifteen seconds the sound began 
again, weaker but steady. The foliage was alive 
with small Azteca ants, but these were tenants 
of several small nests near by, and at the catas- 
trophe overran everything. 
The largest structure was the smooth carton 
nest of a wasp, a beautiful species, pale yellow- 
ish-red with wine-colored wings. Only once did 
an individual make an attempt to sting and even 
when my head was within six inches, the wasps 
rested quietly on the broken combs. By care- 
ful watching, I observed that many of the insects 
jerked the abdomen sharply downward, butting 
the comb or shell of smooth paper a forceful blow, 
and producing a very distinct noise. I could not 
at first see the mass of wasps which were giving 
forth the major rhythm, as they were hidden 
