LETTEES FROM ALABAMA.. 
141 
but he was sulky, and refused to eat. I kept him 
two or three weeks, and at last he died. I never 
saw him eat anything the whole time. 
Here are some notes and dates, extracted lite- 
rally from my journal, showing the progress of a 
wasp’s nest : — 
June 2d , — -A middling-sized brown wasp (allied 
to Polistes) is building a comb, suspended, by a 
pillar of the same grey papery substance, from the 
eaves of the school, immediately over the door. It 
has been recently commenced, as I have but just 
observed it. It has seven cells. 
5tli, — The wasp’s nest is progressing: this morn« 
ing it has fifteen cells ; yesterday it had thirteen. 
They are not all of equal depth. It appears that 
the wasp is not particular about finishing one cell 
before she commences another. The outside ones 
are the shallowest, however. • 
12th , — The nest has been stationary for some 
days past, as regards the numbers of the cells ; but 
the old wasp has been busy in rearing the young, 
and in covering up some of the central cells. I 
suppose the latter contain pupse. How the grubs 
keep themselves from falling out, I can’t think ; for 
the position of the cells is perpendicular, the mouth 
downwards. I see to-day there are twenty cells, 
“ more or less advanced. The old one is almost 
always resting or crawling on the nest. She is 
very vigilant, always on the look-out, turns short 
round every now and then ; and, if a stick is 
raised in the air, within a couple of feet of the nest, 
she flies towards it in a moment, as if to attack 
it. But I have forbidden the boys to molest her. 
14:th , — This morning I perceive the wasp has a 
comrade sitting on the nest : hitherto her labours 
