shaped like a hat

I found this (wasp? hornet?) nest out in the garden the other day. It was built on the edge of a dried foxglove stalk.


Fortunately, nobody was home! (When I was 11 or 12 I got my whole hand stung after uttering the fateful words "hey, what's this?" while picking up/poking a (much bigger) wasp's nest.)

I just think they look so cool! What determines the shape, I wonder? Is the lip around the edge a gutter system? windbreak? individual wasp-builder flair? just because it looks cool?

In non-habitat for hornet news, I love this lip dub of What Makes You Beautiful by the cast of Anything Goes!  I love the goofing around, the fun, the backstage shenanigans, the fabulous 30s costumes, and the way it all makes me happy.