Wasps and their ways . barbarians poisontheir darts by dipping them into somevenomous substance. He also informs us that the wasps 92 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS sharpen their stings by friction, as wesharpen a knife by rubbing the edgeagainst an oil-stone. According to /Elianus too, the wasp didnot always find its sting capable of pre-serving it from harm, for the wily foxout-witted the angry Vespa and ate upits nest. MofTett has thus translated thestory in his own picturesque style: Reynard the Fox, likewise, who is sofull of his wiles and crafty shifting, is re-ported to be in wait to betray Wasps
Wasps and their ways . barbarians poisontheir darts by dipping them into somevenomous substance. He also informs us that the wasps 92 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS sharpen their stings by friction, as wesharpen a knife by rubbing the edgeagainst an oil-stone. According to /Elianus too, the wasp didnot always find its sting capable of pre-serving it from harm, for the wily foxout-witted the angry Vespa and ate upits nest. MofTett has thus translated thestory in his own picturesque style: Reynard the Fox, likewise, who is sofull of his wiles and crafty shifting, is re-ported to be in wait to betray Wasps afterthis sort. The wily thief thrusteth hisbushy tail into the Wasps nest, thereholding it so long until he perceives itto be full of them, then drawing it slilyforth, he beateth and smiteth his tail fullof wasps against the next stone or tree,never resting so long as he seeth any ofthem alive; and thus playing his Fox likeparts many times together, at last hesetteth upon their combs, devouring allthat he can STARTING THE NEST THE well-known greystructures wasps build in trees, underthe eaves or in the ground, are generallyseen in the fall of the year. Then theleaves have left the tree branches bare dis-closing the nests so carefully hidden underthe foliage in the summer time. Moreover, in the fall of the year, boysfearlessly take down these nests and hangthem up as ornaments in the house. Boys do not take them down in thesummer — for a very good reason; butthey know that after the first frost thenest has no fiery occupants to defendit; it is an abandoned domicile — safebooty for whoever finds it. Sometimes a hornets nest is nearly aslarge as a bushel basket, but that is at theend of the season. The beginning of every 93 94 WASPS AND THEIRWAYS nest is simple enough, and consists of buta cluster of three small cells. Early in the summer the females of thesocial wasp may be seen flying about,searching everywhere for a good building-site. One is suspicious that Madam
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