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INJURIOUS INSECTS. 38 



common mother to perform, Ave find in each colony ahout two or three 

 hundred females ; and these, in the course of the season, give birth to twenty 

 or thirty thousand Wasps, all of which perish as the severity of winter sets 

 in, Avith the exception of a few lai-ge females, destined to continue the race. 

 These become torpid, in crevices of buildings, under the bark of trees, in 

 holes, in dry hedge-banks, &c., till revived by the warmth of spring; when 

 they issue forth, to give birth to a fresh progeny ; at which time they may be 

 seen prying into every hole of a hedge-bank, especially where mice have 

 been. After she has fixed upon a proper situation, and made the necessary 

 arrangements, she forms a number of cells, in which she deposits her eggs ; 

 from these eggs are produced larvae, which the parent nourishes with the 

 greatest care. These, after undergoing the necessary transfonnations, come 

 forth as perfect Wasps, and assist their mother in constructing her curious 

 architectural dwelling, and to provide for the wants of the future colony. 

 In this way the colony becomes every day more numerous. As soon as the 

 cells are finished, the females deposit in each an egg; all of which, in due 

 time become perfect Avasps ! and sally forth to range the fields in search of 

 prey. Thus they are ever busy, for no sooner has one brood become perfect 

 than another is in progress ; hence, from being a solitaiy individual, the 

 mother finds herself, before the close of summer, surrounded Avitli tens of 

 thousands of her family. 



When there is no honey to be found, they fall upon the most choice fruits 

 of the garden, and are never mistaken in their choice; the apricot, for 

 instance, is \'ery palatable; it is the same Avith our most delicate pears, the 

 ruddiest peaches, and the ripest grapes. The manner in Avhich they 

 excavate the sweet pulp and juice of fruits is no less extraordinary than the 

 skill they shoAV in excavating their subterranean dAvellings. They commence 

 by perforating the skin, AA'hich is most exposed to the sun. The aperture 

 they make is barely sufiicient for the body to enter. Here they cut away, 

 with their saAA'-like jaAvs, such pieces as they choose to carry aAA'ay as food for 

 their progeny, vintil they leave the skin entirely empty , when they commence 

 their Avork of destruction upon another. The entrance being once effected, 

 particvdarly as regards peaches, apricots, plums, &c., several Wasps cany on 

 the AA'ork of destraction within one fruit ; and it appears to me, that such as 

 assist each other in the Avork of plunder, are the inhabitants of the same 

 colony. But for all this, they are not over dainty : nothing in the Avay of 

 animal or vegetable food comes amiss to them. In your kitchen, they AA'ill 

 dine off foAA-l, bacon, or butchers' meat, sugar, or preserves; and in your 

 parlour Avill regale themseh'es before yovu* very face AA'ith your wines, &c. If 

 they alight in the shambles on their Avay, they have no thought of proceed- 

 ing further ; here they fall to AVork, and carry ofi" bits of flesh as big as 

 themselves. The same fate awaits the sugar casks of the grocer. In France, 

 the butcher's consider the attendance of Wasps as useful for driving aAvay 



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