. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. II VESPIDAE—WASPS' NESTS 8l which is probably chiefly glandular products. Our British Yespidae number only eight species, all belonging to the one genus Vespa, and yet they exhibit three different modes of nidification. Vespa vulgaris, V. germanica and V. rvfa form subterranean nests, while V. arborea, V. sylvestris and V. norvcyica suspend their habitations from the branches of trees, bushes, or strong annual plants. Vespa crabro, the hornet, usually adopts an intermediate course, forming its nest above ground, but in a spot where it is protected and
. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. II VESPIDAE—WASPS' NESTS 8l which is probably chiefly glandular products. Our British Yespidae number only eight species, all belonging to the one genus Vespa, and yet they exhibit three different modes of nidification. Vespa vulgaris, V. germanica and V. rvfa form subterranean nests, while V. arborea, V. sylvestris and V. norvcyica suspend their habitations from the branches of trees, bushes, or strong annual plants. Vespa crabro, the hornet, usually adopts an intermediate course, forming its nest above ground, but in a spot where it is protected and concealed. The favourite habitat of this formidable Insect is the interior of an old tree, but the hornet will sometimes avail itself of the protection of a thatched roof. Both it and other arboreal species are said, however, to occasionally make subter- ranean nests. It is ascertained that V. austriaca, the eighth species, is an inquiline. De Saussure,1 the monographer of the social wasps, classifies them according to the architecture of their nests. He estab- lishes three groups: (1) Stelocyttares, in which the layers of comb are not con- nected with the envelope, but are sup- ported by pillars made by the wasps (Fig. 31); (2) Poecilocyttares, an unsatisfac- tory group of which the chief character- istics appear to be that the nest is always covered by an envelope, and the comb is supported by an object such as the branch P -, i • i v-i i FIG. 32.—Nest of (?) PolyUa ot a tree, round, or on, which the envelope sp_ The enve]ope partly is placed (Fig. 32); (3) Phragmocyttares, cut °Pe" ; °. entrance. . , ., (After de Saussure.) in winch the layers ot comb are supported, in part or entirely, by the envelope of the nest, communication being effected by a hole in each layer of the comb (Fig. 33). de Saussure's classification is far from satisfactory. There are many social wasps that construct nests destitute of any proper envelope ; as an example of this, we may mentio
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