NESTS OF POLISTES. 481 



Corrugated Iron, which has come so much into use for 

 temporary buildings, such as schools, places of worship, reading- 

 rooms, &c. It is very light and very strong, and can be used 

 either for roof or walls with equal success. 



By means of certain wasps belonging to the genus Polistes, 

 Nature produces corrugated dwellings, which are made of very 

 thin materials, but which are marvellously strong in proportion 

 to their weight. 



The insects belonging to this genus are all exotic, but are 

 spread over a very large surface of the earth. 



So strong are the nests made by some of these species, that 

 they need no external covering, the corrugated paper supplying 

 at the same time strength and warmth, the latter element being 

 furnished by the air which is entangled between the corruga- 

 tions. 



There are many species of Polistes, mostly belonging to 

 Australasia and tropical America, the latter displaying the 

 greatest variety of form and structure in the nest. 



1 I 



