7 
gave the specific name Vespa Britannica to the tree 
wasp; but its habits and economy had already been 
fully described by De Geer®. 
The points of difference between the two species 
are as follow: 
1. The tree wasp (Vespa Britannica) has a red- 
dish brown spot near the point of insertion of the 
wings. It is seldom visible in dried specimens. 
2. In the males and neuters, the base of the an- 
tenn is yellow on the outer side, instead of being 
entirely black, as in the ground wasp; but the fe- 
males often present exceptions to this distinction. 
3. The tree wasp has two yellow spots on the baclx 
part of the corselet, whilst the ground wasp has from 
four to six. 
4, The spots on the abdomen of the tree wasp are 
not so much detached from the black bands as in the 
other species, and, I think, less so in the males than 
the females. The markings on the abdomen, how- 
ever, vary so much in different individuals that they 
cannot be safely relied on as a criterion of species. 
Linneus drew a distinction between the hornets 
(Vespa Crabro) and the true wasps, founded on these 
marks, but it certainly cannot be considered as de- 
cisive; and the varieties enumerated by different 
authors, and particularly by Geoffroy, shew that the 
attention paid to this point has tended to create 
confusion rather than lessen the difficulty. Wasps 
taken from the same nest often present considerable 
variations in the marks on the abdomen, and no 
judgment can be formed from specimens in cabinets, 
which undergo great changes in drying. 
5. Independently of the markings just mentioned, 
¢ Vol. ii. p. 766 et seq. pl. 26. 
A 4 
