The Genus _Eumenes_ contains a number of very handsome insects that are easily recognised from the basal portion of the abdomen forming a more or less slender stalk, and the apical portion rounded at the junction and tapering to a sharp point at the tip. They build clay nests containing a number of cells, and store them with caterpillars, which they do not appear to be able to paralyse in the same manner as the large sand wasps, for they are capable of movement after they are enclosed in the cell. By some wonderful instinct, the female wasp does not deposit her egg haphazard among the wriggling grubs that would easily damage it, but suspends it by a fine stalk to the roof of the cell in such a manner, that when the little wasp larva hatches out, it can safely reach down and feed upon the nearest caterpillar, until it has finished the last bit, when it spins a thin parchment cocoon and pupates in the cavity which before was its larder. _Eumenes bicincta_ has a wide range over Australia; it measures about 1 inch in length; the stalk is not quite so long as the base of the abdomen, and is of a uniform deep orange yellow colour, with the top of the head, centre of thorax, and broad band in the middle of the abdomen black. _Eumenes latreillei_, a larger species, has the stalk of the abdomen shorter and thickened, with the basal half of the body from the stalk black. _Eumenes servillei_, the smallest of the three, is more slender in shape, has more black upon the thorax, and the stalked portion of the body is variegated with black. _Eumenes arcuatus_ is a more northern species common in Queensland; it measures over 1 inch in length, and is the only one with blackish wings; it has a very long slender stalked abdomen. It is black, mottled on the head and thorax with yellow; and the abdominal segments are barred on either side with yellow, which appear to form regular slender bands across, but do not actually meet in the centre. Two of our handsomest mason wasps belonging to the Genus _Abispa_ measure 1 inch in length, but are so stout in form that they appear much larger; they are black and deep orange yellow, with dull yellow wings tipped with black, and the stout broad thorax fits close against the base of the abdomen. _Abispa splendida_ has the front half of the first abdominal segment black, with the hind portion yellow, while in _Abispa ephippium_ the whole of the first abdominal segment is yellow. They both build very large, solid, clay nests generally containing two rows of cells, about 6 in number, above each other, with thick partitions between them; the outer surface is rounded on the sides; each cell is stored with caterpillars upon which the larva feeds, and finally pupates in a reddish brown parchment-like cocoon.