78 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
attained a considerable size, when the 
number of workers has increased to such 
an extent, as by their constantly passing 
to and fro to betray its situation. Now, 
by adopting the plan I have recom- 
mended, you may not only, as stated in 
my last communication, make sure of ob 
taining specimens in every stage of for- 
mation, but you may be sure of obtaining 
them uninjured. You have not to begin 
a dig in the dark, uncertain how near to 
or how far from the entrance the nest 
maybe situate, in which case it would be 
ten to one but by an unlucky dig you de- 
molished it entirely, or so far impaired 
its beauty as to render it unfit for a spe- 
cimen ; you have only to remove the clay 
which blocks up the entrance to the 
chamber you have formed, and the nest 
is immediately before your eyes ; and it 
can withal be so readily and so easily 
withdrawn that you must be clumsy in- 
deed if you fail in securing it without its 
having sustained the slightest injury. 
But, beside the certainty of obtaining 
specimens, than which but few objects in 
nature are more exquisitely beautiful, op- 
portunities are hereby afforded you of ob- 
serving by daily inspection the progress 
of the work from its commencement; and 
when the number of workers has so far 
increased as to render an inspection of 
the nest in its original situation no longer 
agreeable or safe, you have only to treat 
them, after dusk in the evening, to a 
moderate dose of chloroform, and then, 
before they have time to recover from the 
stupor into which they have been thrown, 
transfer the nest with its inmates, scraping 
up those which may have fallen from it, 
to your own house, having previously 
.provided yourself with a roomy glazed 
box, some eighteen inches or two feet 
•square. In this box let the nest be sus- 
pended ; but take care so to contrive it 
that it shall nearly, but not quite, touch 
the bottom of the box, and that it can be 
gradually raised as the work progresses. 
By placing the wasps which fell from the 
nest immediately underneath it, they will, 
when consciousness returns, ascend into 
it ; aud in the morning, unless you gave 
them too strong a dose over night, you 
will find them prepared for work. By 
way of encouragement, let them be sup- 
plied with sugar moistened with beer or 
water. Place the box near the window 
of any convenient room. Let there be a 
tunnel or covered way from an aperture 
in the box to one in the window, so as to 
allow of ingress and egress without per- 
mitting them to have the range of the 
room, which would be attended with in- 
convenience to the members of the house- 
hold, and the work of the nest will then 
be carried on directly under your eye. 
In order that you may be enabled to see 
what is going on inside as well as outside 
the nest it will be necessary for you to 
clip away with a pair of scissors the shell 
or covering, so as to expose the combs 
completely ; this should be done as soon 
as the nest has been completely fixed, 
and before the insects recover from their 
lethargic state. The whole process of 
cell-constructing, egg-depositing, lame- 
feeding, &c., will then be revealed to you. 
The covering will be renewed in the 
course of a few days, when, if you wish 
to make further observations with refe- 
rence to the interior, the scissors must be 
again applied, first administering another 
dose of chloroform. 
Having access to an unoccupied house, 
I have during the last four years trans- 
planted upwards of twenty colonies and 
established them in the different rooms ; 
and by operating upon the nests in the 
manner above recommended, I have been 
enabled to observe many extraordinary 
traits in the character of these insects, 
and to make myself acquainted with their 
habits, manner of building, &c., which 
1 could not by any other means have 
done. 
S. Stone. 
(To bo continued.) 
