MU. J. U. UUIDGMAX ON A NEST OF TIIE COMMON WASF. 5l 
one sex to save itself from the cold, and leave the other sexes to 
perish as they always do. The males and workers never survive 
theM-inter. The nest consisted of five complete layers and two 
incomplete ones. The five complete were the upper ones, and 
consisted almost entirely of ivorker cells. Towards the outside were 
a few laryer cells, which most probably contained some of the 
males. The fourth and fifth layers were the largest, an irregular 
oval in shape, and about nine and a half inches in diameter. I 
had not patience to count the cells, but found that a square inch 
contained about tAventy-five worker cells. ]>y measuring I came 
to the conclusion that the largest layer contained about sixty-four 
sc^uare inches. This would give about one thousand six hundred cells 
to that layer. And at a rough guess I should say that altogetlier 
there would be about five times that number, which would bring it 
to eight thousand cells in all; and as the worker cells arc said 
sometimes to cradle more than one brood, sometimes as many as 
three, and supposing there to have been one thousand cells for 
male and female, Avhich I believe to be too many, and each of the 
others to have been used three times, this would give twenty-one 
thousand. Lut many, most probably, did not serve more than 
once so that the colony Avould not reach to (piite these figure.s. But 
at any rate the number must have been large. The sixth layer 
consisted of three irregular ovate masses of female cells, which arc 
the largest of the three kinds ; and the seventh layer Avas composed 
of six masses of different sizes of the same kind of cells. Tavo of 
these masses Avere attached to each one of the sixth layer. This nest 
had been commenced by the parent female in the spring, and liad 
been built doAviiAA’ards and outAA'ards. The female makes at first a 
fcAV cells from Avhich Avorkers arc reared, and these assist in 
forming ncAv cells and feeding the larA'm; and as all TVasp grub.s 
are fed on insects or spiders, one can imagine the destruction of life 
caused by the inhabitants of so large a colony as this. It is very 
interesting to Avatch a AVasp Avhen she has caught a fly ; she rears 
herself up on her hind legs, holding the fly Avith the front pair, 
tAvists it round very rapidly, cutting off the legs and Avings as use- 
less incumbrances. One curious habit I have noticed in the position 
of hybernating "Wasps : it is, that they fold their Avings along the 
underneath part of their bodies, covering up the legs, instead of 
over the back, as they do Avhen at rest or at other times. I have 
E 
