126 
PBOCEEDINGS OF THE NATURAL [April, 1887. 
less it is as probable that there were 300 as 200 queens in this 
comb. 
The relative number of male and female wasps differed so 
much in the nests that we opened that the statements seemed 
unreconcilable until we remember that only a few queens are 
hatched in the late summer, while a much larger number mature 
toward the time when the nest is to be deserted. Nest number 
four, opened on September 17, had 1,195 queens in different 
stages, and about the same number of males. In nest number 
ve there were 1,09/ queen cells and the number of male cells 
was probably a little larger. It seems, then, that most of the 
males are developed considerably earlier than the females, as is 
e case with nearly all insects; and that the males and females 
e a out equal in number. Herman Mueller, as quoted by Dar- 
’ °und, in studying several species of bees, that in some 
sexes were nearly equal, that in others the males greatly 
exceeded the females, and that in some cases the females ex- 
ceeded the males. 
in, r 8t ’” SayS the Rev - Dr - Bin sley,t “about the begin- 
® l ,er presents a sin 2 u iar and cruel scene. At this sea- 
’ ? 7 a , SpS n ° t only cease to bring nourishment to their 
of SI ? r S grUbS fr ° m their cells and carry them out 
they all nn Tl t0 ^ Weather ’ and deprived of food, 
dom do, to HU them ^ 
» nZT:z: r "tz sh they ° ften ei “ de 
this inlt JZ i . , ! aPPeare .tous cruel; and unnatural in 
perhaps an act of ’the greatest'merc^ by the wa8p8 ' iS 
possibly have taken place Was 7 ^ COm P assion that could 
endowed with the instinct of laying** f* 
winter subsistence. If not prematur S f pWV1S10D8 f ° T 
rents, the young must necessarily die a IruTTv ^ “7 th‘ 
occasioned by hunger. Henee fv,- 1 Hnd 1,ngenng death ’ 
—-- ls seemingly harsh conduct in 
in.,p D M& utofMan>p - 254 (Am. Ed. itii), +Anima , EJography| London mvoi _ 
