Polistes Wasps and Their Nests } 
WititiAM T. Davis 
In the course of copying the inscriptions on the gravestones in 
the cemetery at Woodrow, Staten Island, N. Y., with Messrs. R. 
W. Vosburgh and C. W. Leng, we found on the 25th of May 1922 
a small nest of Polistes pallipes of about 4o cells, which had been 
constructed by two females; they had combined to build it and 
were at the time of discovery on the nest. This nest was on the 
under side of one of the gravestones that had fallen over, and 
without meaning to we disturbed the wasps, so that by June 5 
they had deserted it. Attached to the stone and near the small 
and recently started nest of 1922, was the old deserted one of 1921, 
a considerable structure of five inches in diameter. Lying on the 
ground and close together were the still older nests of 1920 and 
IQIQ, each of which was about three inches in diameter. It was 
evident that a nest had been built beneath the gravestone during 
succeeding seasons for at least four years past. Just as a phoebe 
returns each season and builds its nest in the old site, so succeed- 
ing generations of Polistes had done and built their nest under the 
sheltering gravestone. 
Again while copying the inscriptions on the gravestones in the 
old cemetery at New Springville, Staten Island, Oct. 2, 1922, | 
moved a footstone that was leaning against a headstone, and be- 
tween the two discovered a nest made by Polistes pallipes. About 
a dozen of the wasps were present, though the nest was empty 
save for one wasp that had failed to emerge and had died in its 
cell. It was simply the onetime home of these wasps, and they 
stayed around. The day was warm and they were active, so when 
disturbed they all flew away. 
On the 18th of October, a cold and windy day, I observed that 
three of these wasps (all females) were resting in the immediate 
1 Read at the regular meeting of the Institute October 20, 1923. 
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