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NOTES ON A HORNET'S NEST FROM
CHIGNAL ST. JAMES.
By CHARLES NICHOLSON, F.E.S.
(Read 29th November, 1919.)
MR. Christy mentioned hornet's nests, as occurring in the
nesting-boxes in his wood and this was an additional
inducement to me to pay him a visit, as I had not so far met
with one.
On tapping each nesting-box with a long stick, no tell-tale
humming was elicited from any of the boxes, but in one case
a hornet quickly appeared at the entrance-hole, and, after a
good look round, and some gnashing of its jaws, retired within
the box. With the aid of a small step-ladder, I managed to
reach the box and carefully and quietly removed the loose front,
during which proceeding the aforesaid hornet again appeared,
made a similar demonstration, and finally took wing without
attempting to molest me. Whilst it was out I saw there was
a small nest attached to the roof of the box, with some dozen
hornets clustered on it and moving about somewhat nervously.
I therefore replaced the front, plugged the hole, and proceeded
to detach the box from the tree, to which it was secured with
iron hinges and long nails. Whilst I was so engaged the sentinel
hornet returned, and after flying round suspiciously, went into
the box, from which I had removed the plug to allow it to
enter. The box was then soon secured intact, and eventually
taken home.
The next day being Sunday I was able to give further attention
to my guests (all of which turned out to be workers), and found
that during the night two of them had succumbed—probably to
starvation—and were lying at the bottom of the box on the
remains of the bird's nest, the latter being alive with fly maggots
which had already commenced work on the two dead hornets.
I therefore removed the living hornets into another box, where
they enjoyed a good feed of honey, and some took a few turns
round the room, their hum when on the wing being very rich
and deep. Meanwhile the nest-box was thoroughly cleaned
out and then they were again installed, one unfortunately getting
away to the garden during the process. I subsequently noticed
two or three others obviously on their last legs, and, as their