400 



Marvels of the Universe 



in his photographic studio, and in the ordinary way these Wasps flew in and out the open door- 

 way ; but in the early morning, before the door was opened, the \A'asps that had just emerged from 

 their cells learnt their way out through a triangular ventilator immediately over the door. Now, 

 although the ventilator was only separated from the open door below by a strip of wood about 

 one and a half inches wide, yet those wasps which had left by the ventilator always returned that 

 way. If the ventilator was closed they alighted on the outside and were quite lost. Occasionall}-, 

 in tr\ing to find their way in, one would fly within the doorway, and in a moment it would recognize 

 its whereabouts and fl_v to the nest. When, too, the nest was removed two yards to the opposite 

 side of the studio the Wasps were equally lost, and when they returned would alight upon the spot 

 on the table where the nest should have been, accumulating there in large numbers and becoming very 

 angry with each other. 



These experiments, then, tend to show that the Wasp followed the circular route because that 

 was the only way to her building-site which she had learnt. So for days together she continued 

 to make this journey. Each time that she alighted upon the fence she tore off shreds of the wood 

 fibres by means of her strong jaws, and these she masticated into a pulp and carried back to her home 

 in the bank. The first use of this material was to form a stout little papier-mache pillar attached 

 to a projecting portion in the roof of the chamber — for the \^'asp builds the roof of its home first. 

 Then to the end of this footstalk a cap of the same material was added about half an inch in 

 diameter. To the under side of this cap four cells were attached ; and in that manner the first 

 stage in a new Wasp city was built. 



[J.J. ir«r.f. F.E.'i. 



INTERIOR OF A WASP'S NEST. 



6y cutting away part of the paper walls the arrangement of the combs is seen. It will be noticed that they hang one from 

 another on paper pillars, and that the cells all open downwards. Only jtist sufficient space is left between the comb;: to enable 

 the Wasps to crawl about, and attend to the grubs. 



