Insects, 165 



seum, where I was permitted to consult the Linnaean cabinet, and 

 there I found a specimen ticketed V. vulgaris, agreeing exactly with 

 the original description in the * Systema Naturae.' I next consulted 

 the Banksian cabinet, named by Fabricius, and found a specimen with 

 a ticket attached as V. vulgaris, precisely corresponding with that in 

 the Linnaean cabinet, and agreeing with the description given by 

 Fabricius. Seeing that the insects, as well as the descriptions of 

 these illustrious authors, precisely agree, I think no better or more 

 satisfactory evidence can be adduced. 



The V. vulgaris of Linnaeus is an insect, very variable, not only in 

 its colouring and appearance, but also in its habits. The difference 

 of colouring will be found on the abdomen and clypeus, in other parts 

 it is pretty constant. I have given figures of some of the varieties of 

 V. vulgaris ; and it will be found, that out of these, four species have 

 been made by different authors. Fig c (p. 162) represents a female 

 of the V. vulgaris of Linnaeus, Fabricius, Latreille and Panzer ; iig. 

 d is the V. germanica of Panzer, and perhaps of St. Fargeau, but as 

 the last-named author does not mention the three spots on the first 

 segment of the abdomen, I hesitate to speak decidedly. St. Fargeau's 

 descriptions of V. vulgaris and V. germanica scarcely differ. He 

 points out the " halbert-shaped " mark on the clypeus of V. vulgaris, 

 but describes that part in V. germanica as having "one or three 

 spots," which is a very inconstant character. He also remarks that 

 V. vulgaris is rather the smaller insect, but I can detect no difference 

 in this respect. Fig. e, a neuter, is, I have no doubt, the V. germani- 

 ca both of Linnaeus and Fabricius ; the former says — " less than the 

 common wasp," and the latter — " small V. vulgaris." Of this there 

 are several specimens in the Linnaean cabinet. Fig. b, a male, I con- 

 sider to be the V. saxonica of linnaeus and Fabricius; the descriptions 

 of these authors precisely agree ; both of them point out the yellow 

 front of the scape of the antennae. Fabricius also considers it a va- 

 riety of V. vulgaris, and mentions the long prominent hairs upon the 

 head and thorax. Panzer has also correctly named and figured it as 

 V. saxonica. 



I will now give my reasons for considering all the varieties figured 

 and described to be one and the same species, — Vespa vulgaris. I 

 have taken pairs in copula^ in which the varieties were so intermin- 

 gled as to leave no doubt on my mind about the matter. Thus, fig. 

 h, a male, and d, a female, and fig. a, a male, and c, a female, have 

 been found thus paired ; and in Mr. Westwood's series of wasps, obli- 

 gingly sent me for examination, I find the varieties represented by the 



