Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-11
MAK1Ne PETS OF HORNETS.
If Gently Handled, This Writer Says,
They Become Docile.

i FROM Farm and PRESIDE.
| The female hornet has rapid-fire arma-
| ment with recoverable projectile. 1t uses
| it for both attack and defense and with
| remarkable aim and efficiency. The fret
| stroke of hornet is as penetrating as an
electric shock. At the base of it's sharp
| sting there is a sac containing poison which.
when injected into the substance of its
| enemy. causes pain. swelling and discorn-
| fort facts to which most persons are able
| to testify by experience. Should the injec-
! ton be upon the end of the thumb or nose,
| or upon the tongue, there is danger from
it. Strong ammonia applied to the wound
| is the best antidote Yet the hornet when
| treated politely and with gentle ceremony
| is as docle as butterfly.
In the mountains of West Virginia /
had wire fly trap which. by the seductive
| influence of molasses, persuaded the house
| flies infesting my stave-built office to en-
| ter. Once within it they remained incar-
cerated until hot water cured. For several
days very persistent black and white
striped hornet amused me by it's futile en-
beavers to seize flies from the buZzing
horde of prisoners At last 1t found Its
way in, and to my establishment after cap
turing a fly, found its way out. 1t had re-
membered the way Of its entrance even
in the excitement Of the chase. 1t did not
paralyze its prey, as does the mud wasp
and other species. 1t did not stop to eat
single fly so far as my observation ex-
tended. 1t had a victualing job on hand
and attended faithfully to It, Such unself-
ishness excited admiration
During one of its absences placed my
hand over the trap entrance. and upon it
laid piece Of ripe peach. Upon the hor-
nets return 1t lit upon my hand and ran
confusedly over it, yet soon tried to get
under the covering fingers. Failing 1t
went to the peach and took a hearty meal.
hand from the opening After preening
itself the hornet entered and continued it's
fly raid.
After many dozens of trips it brought a
c0mrade with 1t, and personally conducted
1t into the fly pound. Thereafter they al
| ways worked together To be sure of this.
by slow approaches of an affectionate fin
ger I was enabled to stroke them while
lunching. / marked them both with a
spot of red ink. Many continued ex-
periences convinced me that hornets work
In pairs, like detectives. Several other
hornets from the same nest visited the
cage, tried to enter it, but found the prob
lem too much for them. In no instance
did the pair offer these instruction or pay
any attention to them. They all partook
of my lunches freely and in harmony
But the favored pair guarded their secret
Were they selfish? Did they receive special
plaudits at the home nest for their phe-
nomenal success in fly capture? Or were
they simply governed by hornet manners?
L grew fond of these winged warriors l
introduced them to my several fingers by
placing tempting sweets upon them. They
learned to come to me after they had emp
tied the trap of prisoners. and gradually be-
came very companionable.
Following the direction of their home
flight, and noting the range of trees, their
nest was easily found. 1t hung on the end
of branch of mountain rhododendron.
The glossy, green leaves overhanging It
were undisturbed in their position, but were
so built into the outer layer Of papier-
mache covering as to give the best natural
concealment. Whether this was intentional
or not. or whether the leaves simply be-
came an obstruction as the nest was in
creased in size by dismantling the inside
and building upon the outside I do not
know, but the evidence was in favor of the
engineering, reason. intention rather than
accident. Hornets were the first users of
wood pulp for paper manufacture. They
make it from wood and leaf fiber and there
are both forethought and economy in tear
ing out the insides Of their nests to make
room for larger tiers of cells in which to
raise their young, and in using the ma
terial to enlarge the nursery