On the Study of' Nature a?id Science, 7 



completed, it began another, at a sufficient distance from the 

 first to admit of its free passage between them ; as soon as 

 this was finished, it began and completed another and an- 

 other, and so on until the inverted cone was large enough to 

 hold half a pint or more. 



I could not perceive that there was more than one artist 

 employed, until two or three shells had been formed, and 

 the last one was as large as a hen's egg. About this time 

 there were evidently two or three active labourers ; and these 

 increased in number daily, until they became so numerous as 

 to become a nuisance, when I determined on destroying them, 

 and examining the interior of their mansions. 



Having smothered, as I thought, all the tenants, I detached 

 the fabric carefully from the rafter ; when, to my astonish- 

 ment, instead of finding it composed of as many shells as I 

 had seen formed one over the other, thus (Jig, 2. a), I found 



the exterior shell only to re- 

 tain its figure; the interior 

 consisted of three or four tiers, 

 formed with a regular range 

 of cells, like a honeycomb, 

 and fixed one to the other in the centre, thus (Z>). Many of 

 the cells were covered, and some open. Whilst contem- 

 plating this mysterious metamorphosis, I observed one of 

 the coverings broken through by some active power within ; 

 and, presently, out marched a fine and perfectly formed wasp, 

 which, after a few seconds devoted to pluming and adjusting 

 itself, flew off in all the glory of its perfect formation. In a 

 few minutes another came forth, and then another, and so on. 

 This led me to a further examination of the contents of the 

 cells, and I found, in all those that were covered, wasps fully 

 formed ; but in many of them their bodies were of a white 

 jelly-like substance, some just turning colour, and some nearly 

 arrived at perfection ; but all had their limbs perfectly formed, 

 and folded, with perfect order and regularity, close to their 

 bodies. The cells that were not covered I perceived to con- 

 tain each a larva or grub, but of different sizes, advancing 

 from a small point to the size of the wasp ; and as each of 

 these appeared to be furnished with a pair of destructive jaws, 

 and to be inclined to work them, I presented some pulp of 

 fruit, which they received and devoured most ravenously. 

 Hence it is evident that the wasps feed their young until they 

 arrive at a certain age ; and this accounts for the ravages they 

 make among fruits. 



It also appears evident that the colonies of wasps, like bees, 

 are divided and appropriated to the performance of different 



B 4 



