NATURE'S FIRST PAPER MAKERS. 4:37 



"Very well," I resumed; "when that triumph is 

 achieved let us moderate our human vain-glory at least 

 so much as to remember that the hornets had by some 

 milleniads the priority of man. Xow, look at the in- 

 side furnishing of this nest. Here are six separate 

 circles, terraces or stories of hexagonal cells arranged 

 one above another, and united by tough paper stalks or 

 pillars, which are placed at or near the center. Other 

 similar columns are distributed at sundry points along 

 the floor, thus contributing to its support ; they are 

 formed of long fibres, and broaden out at each end, 

 where they are attached above and below. Each one 

 of the combs, as they are called, resembles the nest of 

 the ringed wasp, which, you see, differs from the 

 hornet in always building a single comb and never 

 enclosing it within walls.'" 



" Why is this difference ?" asked Abb}^ 



" Ah ! who will tell us ? I have never been able to 

 think of any reason based upon the idea of jirotection 

 or any other probable necessity which conditions the 

 hornet's life, but from which the wasp is free. It is 

 one of those strange facts which mark the distinct in- 

 dividuality of closely allied species, in accordance with 

 the infinite variety seen in nature, and for which no 

 apparent reason can be assigned." 



"Except, perhaps," suggested Aunt Hannah, rever- 

 ently, " that infinite wealth of thought and skill which 

 one must think to be tlie natural outcome of an Infinite 

 Creative Mind." 



" A just remark, Autit Hannah ; but whatever ex- 



