658 
THE STUDY OF INSECTS . 
the habits of our species. But as an European species has 
been bred from the nest of a digger-wasp, it is inferred that 
the members of this family are inquilines. 
Family EUMENID/E (Eu-men'i-dae). 
The Solitary Wasps . 
All of the variations in habits found among digger-wasps 
occur in this family. Some are miners, digging tunnels in 
the earth ; some are carpenters, cutting tubular nests in wood 
and then showing a mason’s skill by partitioning their tun¬ 
nels off into cells with mud. While others are masons pure 
and simple, and build oval or globular mud-nests which they 
fasten to twigs of trees; such nests often contain many 
cells. All of these wasps are predaceous, provisioning their 
nests with insects. 
One species, Eumenes fraternus (Eu'me-nes fra-ter'- 
nus), makes a neat little nest, which appears like a miniature 
Fig. 786.— Eumenes fraternus and its nest. 
water-jug (Fig. 786). These Mason-wasps have a very char¬ 
acteristic form. The peduncle of the abdomen is shaped 
like a bell with a long handle. The segment of the ab¬ 
domen next to the peduncle is large and globe-shaped. The 
segments behind this taper off into a point, giving the whole 
