THE POLISTES GALLIC A. 
2 37 
a homogeneous paste, which is converted into a strong grey 
paper. The Polistes first uses a large quantity of this paper to 
form a solid foundation for the nest, and a strong peduncle, which 
has to maintain the comb. The comb is very small, and there 
are not often more than five, six, or eight cells in it. It is never 
covered up with envelopes, and although it is increased in size 
subsequently by the addition of new cells, it is never enclosed 
and protected from the weather. Any one interested in the habits 
of these industrious Hymenoptera, and who will visit the neigh- 
bourhood of their nests daily, can study all the phases of the 
life of the larvae, for these pretty nests without envelopes, and 
unsheltered, offer every opportunity for the investigation ; but 
although apparently so liable to be injured by rain and wind, 
they are so made that the larvae are perfectly safe inside. The 
nests are always placed obliquely, so that the rain falls off them 
without entering into the cells, or remaining upon them in the 
least ; moreover, they are turned towards the east, and as the bad 
weather, cold rain, and strong winds usually come from the opposite 
direction during the summer and autumn months, the inhabitants 
of them have not much chance of suffering from causes acting from 
without. The little Polistes having taken care of its tiny comb, the 
larvae are soon transformed into nymphs, and before this occurs they 
close their cells with a little lid, by forming a silken cocoon. Some 
observers state that as soon as the adults fly it becomes evident that 
they are all workers, and that they begin to extend the nest, which, 
however, never reaches a great size. Fifty or sixty cells constitute a 
large nest, but it happens sometimes that a second comb is attached 
to the first by little pillars, as is the case in the nest of wasps. 
In the engraving are representations of one large and two small 
nests of Polistes gallica. That on the left-hand side projects from 
a peduncle which is attached to a stem. On the right-hand side 
there is a front view of a small nest, and a Polistes is building the 
cells. The large nest shows many open cells, a few of which con- 
tain larvae, whose heads are placed outwards, so as to receive food 
from the workers ; there are other cells which appear to be closed 
in consequence of the larvae having spun their cocoons within them. 
Professor C. T. von Siebold has made most careful examina- 
tion of the habits and peculiarities of these wasps, and he notices 
