INSECTA-HORNET. 847 



of a building. All the cells of the nests are only destined for the reception 

 of the young, being replete with neither wax nor honey. 



Each cell is, like that of the bee, hexagonal ; but there are two sorts, the 

 one larger, for the production of the male and the female wasps, the other 

 less, for the reception of the working part of the community. When the 

 females are impregnated by the males, they lay their eggs one in each cell, 

 and stick it in with a kind of gummy matter to prevent its falling out. 

 From this egg proceeds the insect in its worm state, of which the old ones 

 are extremely careful. But the wasp community differs from that of the 

 bee in this ; that among the latter, the working bees take the parental duties 

 upon them, whereas, among the wasps, the females alone are permitted to 

 feed their young, and to nurse their rising progeny. For this purpose the 

 female waits with great patience till the working wasps have brought in 

 their provisions, which she takes from them, and cuts into pieces. She 

 then goes with great composure from cell to cell, and feeds every young one 

 with her mouth. When the young worms have come to a certain size, they 

 leave off eating, and begin to spin a very fine silk, fixing the first end to the 

 entrance of the cell ; then turning their heads, first on one side, then on the 

 other, they fix the thread to different parts, and thus they make a sort of 

 door which serves to close up the mouth of the cell. After this, they divest 

 themselves of their skins after the usual mode of transformation ; the aurelia 

 by degrees begins to emancipate itself from its shell ; by little and little it 

 thrusts out its legs and wings, and insensibly acquires the color and shape 

 of its parent. 



THE HORNET* 



Is one ot the largest and most remarkable species of the wasp. It is twice 

 as large as the common wasp, and is also distinguished by a black breast, 



1 Ycspa crabro, Lin. 



