288 Rev. J. Macgarvie on the Brown Hornet of 



regularity and skill, that the most expert artizan might in vain 

 attempt to imitate or surpass them. Why is it they have cho- 

 sen this best of all forms " stipare roscida mella,^ by which every 

 atom of their labour becomes of use ? Why do they never de- 

 viate from this rule ? Why have they never advanced in im- 

 provement since the first of the race completed his primitive 

 cell ? This, of itself, in place of leading us to assign the ef- 

 fect to instinct, should lead us to ascribe it to the structure of 

 the race, impelled by some principle beyond the reach of inves- 

 tigation. 



Instinct implies a power of action for producing some effect, 

 by mechanical means, without the agency of intelligence. To 

 this view of instinct we are not disposed to object, if men do not 

 stop at proximate causes ; for, whilst bodily conformation and 

 structure may serve to attain certain ends, the principle from 

 which these flow may still be denominated Instinct. 



The hornets of which we speak, are of several kinds. There 

 is a small black species which forms a quadrangular cell, about 

 a quarter of an inch in the side, and from which a number of 

 young ones, to the amount of ten or twelve, may sometimes be 

 taken, of a dry, hard, brittle structure and glossy aspect, with- 

 out wings, and the head very indistinctly formed. This nest 

 is often attached to the leaf of a wattle, or gum-tree, in which 

 case it is often hid by the leaves. It is firmly attached to the 

 leaf by a thin gluten. 



There is another very beautiful small nest, whose inmates we 

 have not ascertained, but the form of which is more regular and 

 surprising than that of the bee itself. It is six-sided, and the 

 edges of the angles are formed into a rounded ridge. 



The nest of the large black and brown hornet is extremely 

 curious. It is fastened to the branch of a tree, sometimes a 

 peach-tree, and sometimes to the twigs of a low shrub, close to 

 the ground, and hid by high grass, being attached by a small 

 button-shaped protuberance of dry, tough, gummy matter, which 

 is impervious to rain or moisture, and which is, when taken off, 

 in scales similar to the scales of a fish, but of a very different 

 structure. They work downwards for about an inch, and then- 

 commence their cells, attaching the button of each cell to the 

 stalk attached to the tree. They have sagacity enough to know 



