38 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
state, I ruade no attempt to take the nest 
for several weeks, in order that the para- 
site might have lull opportunity of esta- 
blishing itself therein. For permission 
to delay the capture, and make it when 
I thought proper, I am indebted to the 
kindness and courtesy of Walter Strick- 
land, Esq., a gentleman every way worthy 
of the name he bears, the owner of the 
Cokethorpe estate, and a near relative of 
the late lamented and never-to-be-for- 
gotten Hugh Edwin Strickland, Esq., 
whose untimely death Science has every 
reason to deplore. 
In the mean time I matured the plan 
of attack and made the necessary pre- 
parations, having four objects in view, 
the first of which was to take the nest, 
the second to take it without ruuniug the 
risk of getting slung, the third to take it 
at the time Velleius would be likely to be 
found in it, and lastly to take it without 
destroying the insects belonging to it, so 
that the work might be carried on after I 
had got possession of it, which of course 
vastly increased the difficulties that had 
to be surmounted. My first care was to 
have two dresses made, one for myself 
and the other for the person I engaged to 
assist me, which should render the wearers 
proof against attack, even if by any acci- 
dent the whole colony chanced to rush 
out in an infuriated state. These dresses 
were easily and quickly made, the two 
having occupied one pair of hands but a 
few hours. The legs, body and sleeves 
were of unbleached calico; the part from 
the shoulders upwards of lino, in order 
that the wearers might be enabled to see 
what they were about. They somewhat 
resembled a couple of sacks, with legs 
attached to the bottom, and sleeves in- 
serted in the proper places for the arms. 
Each dress was made to reach, when put 
on, above the head and hat of the wearer, 
when a string could he passed round the 
top and there securely tied. Gloves of 
stout sheepskin, dressed with the wool 
on, were provided, and to these short 
sleeves were attached, which when drawn 
on could be securely lied over the sleeves 
of the dress. Large woollen stockings 
were also provided, which could be 
drawn over the hoots and over the legs 
of the dress, and there secured by strings. 
A dress of this kind gives a feeling of 
perfect security to the wearer, thus en- 
abling him to go to his work with con- 
fidence, coolness and self-possession : it 
is thus of some value, even if no accident 
occurs, in capturing insects of so for- 
midable a character as hornets, while in 
case of accident its value is beyond cal- 
culation. A couple of long narrow lino 
bags, in which to place and bring away 
the captured insects, were got ready, and 
a glazed box, in which the work of the 
nest could be carried on, made, as also 
an apparatus for introducing the chloro- 
form, consisting simply of a short tin 
tube, corked at both ends, with a small 
opening about the middle, the tube being 
about the size of a quarter-ounce bottle ; i 
it had a slight handle, three or four inches 
in length, and was loosely filled with 
cotton-wool: a quantity of soft and well- 
tempered clay was prepared, and on the { 
evening of the 7th of September I met I 
my assistant, by appointment, near the ! 
“ scene of action,” taking with me, in ad- 
dition to the articles enumerated and 
described above, a bull’s-eye lantern, 
matches, chloroform, mallet, chisels, saw, 
a small box in which to place the bag or 1 
bags of captured insects, and a “ laurel- 
bottle” in which to place Velleius^ if we 
chanced to be fortunate enough to meet 
with a specimen. 
It having become sufficiently dark, we 
proceeded to unpack our wardrobe and 
