172 
NOTES ON A HORNET’S NEST FROM 
CHIGNAL ST. JAMES. 
By CHARLES NICHOLSON, F.E.S. 
(Read 29 th November, 1919.) 
> 
M R. Christy mentioned hornet’s nests, as occurring in the 
nesting-boxes in his wood and this was an additional 
inducement to me to pay him a visit, as I had not so far met 
with one. 
On tapping each nesting-box with a long stick, no tell-tale 
humming was elicited from any of the boxes, but in one case 
a hornet quickly appeared at the entrance-hole, and, after a 
good look round, and some gnashing of its jaws, retired within 
the box. With the aid of a small step-ladder, I managed to 
reach the box and carefully and quietly removed the loose front, 
during which proceeding the aforesaid hornet again appeared, 
made a similar demonstration, and finally took wing without 
attempting to molest me. Whilst it was out I saw there was 
a small nest attached to the roof of the box, with some dozen 
hornets clustered on it and moving about somewhat nervously. 
I therefore replaced the front, plugged the hole, and proceeded 
to detach the box from the tree, to which it was secured with 
iron hinges and long nails. Whilst I was so engaged the sentinel 
hornet returned, and after flying round suspiciously, went into 
the box, from which I had removed the plug to allow it to 
enter. The box was then soon secured intact, and eventually 
taken home. 
The next day being Sunday I was able to give further attention 
to my guests (all of which turned out to be workers), and found 
that during the night two of them had succumbed—probably to 
starvation— and were lying at the bottom of the box on the 
remains of the bird’s nest, the latter being alive with fly maggots 
which had already commenced work on the two dead hornets. 
I therefore removed the living hornets into another box, where 
they enjoyed a good feed of honey, and some took a few turns 
round the room, their hum when on the wing being very rich 
and deep. Meanwhile the nest-box was thoroughly cleaned 
out and then they were again installed, one unfortunately getting 
away to the garden during the process. I subsequently noticed 
two or three others obviously on their last legs, and, as their 
