ORDER V. HVMEXOPTERA. C9 



and have only one row of hexagonal cells, flat at hottom, the mouth 

 turned downwards, which serve only lor holding the young. Every hive 

 is begun by a mother, who at first deposits a lew eggs, from which neu- 

 ters are produced, or working wasps, who assist her in increasing her 

 work and in feeding the young afterwards produced. Neither males 

 nor females are produced till towards the month of September. Be- 

 fore that time there are none in the nest but the female and the neuters 

 she has engendered. The females remain in the nest. The males do 

 no work, ^^'asps feed their larvte with insects, meat, and the frag- 

 ments of fruits. Towards autmnn they are said to Idll such of the lars'as 

 luxl pupKas cannot come to perfection before the month of November. 

 The males and neuters perish themselves during winter, and none re- 

 main but a few impregnated females to perpetuate the species. 



Sp. 1. V. Crahro, the Hornet Wasp. (P/. 8. fg. 8.) 



Inhabits Europe, generally forming its nest in the trunks of trees. 



Some little caution is necessary in taking the insects of this species, as 

 without care the entomologist is subject to be stung by them. I have 

 found that the bag net(P/. W.fg. 4.) is the best means of taking them. 

 The insects when seciuxd in the net should be gently trodden upon, 

 not sufficiently to injure, but merely to numb them ; a pin should then 

 be passed throu^^h the thorax, and the insect placed in the pocket box. 



Genus 07. Apis, Bee. 



Mou/.h horny: jn-^ivi/lu; and labhnn membranaceous at the apex: tougiie 



inflected : paipi four, unequal and filiform : aniciime filiform : zcings not 



folded : aculcus in the females and neuters concealed in the abdomen. 



Sp. 1. ^1. return, Linn. {kmvAc) jKnnipes, (male) {PL 8. Jig. 9. male.) 



Mr. Kirby has described upwards of 200 indigenous species of this 



genus in his admirable work entitled Monographia Apta/i Anglia, 2 vols. 



[ Bxo. This work is indispensable in the library of every entomologist. 



Genus 68. Formica, Jnt. 



ij Palj'A four, unequal, with cylindiical articulations, seated on a sub- 

 1 membranaceous cylindrical lip : unteniKE filiform ; bet^veen the thorax 

 and the abdomen a small erect scale: the s^<V?^ concealed in the ab- 

 domen, and possessed only by the females and neuters. The males 

 and females only have wings. 



All the species of this genus are of three sorts, males, females, and 

 |j neuters. The neuters alone labour; they form the ant-hill, bring in 

 I the provisions, feed the young, bring them to th^ air during the day, 

 '!' carry them back at night, defend them against attacks, &c. The fe- 

 males are said to be retained merely for laying eggs, and as soon as 

 that is accomplished they arc unmercifully discarded. The males and 

 females perish with the first cold ; the neuters lie torpid in their nest. 

 :| Sp. 1. T. ha-ndanca. {PI. S. fg. 10.) 



