THE FIRST PAPER-MAKERS 273 
And this notwithstanding the fact that the little 
workers have absolutely no complicated ma¬ 
chinery of any kind at their command—a feat 
which seems the more remarkable after visiting 
a large paper factory, and viewing the immense 
vats, huge rollers, and heavy complicated ma¬ 
chines of various sorts which man finds necessary 
in the perfection of the paper art. 
“ Another thing: man makes paper of old rags, 
wood pulp, water, and a combination of chemicals 
for bleaching and whitening. The hornets use 
nothing but wood. They prefer old wood well on 
the verge of decay,—an old log, a fence post, a 
window ledge where the paint has pealed and 
cracked; but if this is not to be had, they will work 
on the bark of young trees, and in consequence 
often do considerable damage in a growing wood¬ 
land. Likewise, too, all kinds of vegetable ref¬ 
use, moldering leaves, plant stalks and the like 
serve the paper wasps in nest-building arrange¬ 
ments. 
“ The bald-faced hornet is the best known of 
the little paper-makers, but as a matter of fact 
she is not a hornet at all. She belongs to the 
tribe of social wasps, and shares her trade in 
common with the other members of the family. 
Naturally they do not all fashion paper alike, but 
all of it is very strong and durable, and a wasp 
nest will last six or eight years. Of course, there 
