262 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. XVIII. 



one which is sometimes found on dead horses' 

 hoofs. An interesting account has been given by a 

 gentleman who, while botanizing in America, found 

 lying on the ground a wasp's nest, which had, by 

 some means unknown to him, been separated from 

 a branch of a laurel, near which it had fallen. The 

 creatures were in a strange condition after this 

 disaster to their dwelling ; some were flitting about 

 over their cells, and by the softness of their wings 

 and the faintness of their colours, were easily 

 known to have been hatched but a short time. 

 Many of them were lying dead on the ground ; and 

 on examining these he instantly perceived vegeta- 

 bles proceeding from their bodies, which were uni- 

 formly attached to the thorax. ^He collected about 

 fifty of the vegetating wasps. ** On inspecting the 

 nest, he found a considerable proportion of the cells 

 empty; this, however, was not the case with them 

 all, for there were still some that contained young 

 wasps in the state of larvae. He drew them from 

 their cells, and satisfied himself that there was an 

 incipient vegetation, and moreover that its progress 

 had kept pace with the growth of the insect. Yet, 

 in some instances, the vegetation is considered to 

 commence only when life has ceased. In confirma- 

 tion of this opiiiion, it is related that in Trinidad a 

 wasp was found apparently in a perfect state, glued 

 somehow by one of its vvings to a leaf of a tree. 

 From all parts of its body issued filaments from one 

 to three inches long: they were shining black, and 

 resembled the plant called Spanish beard. 



The pupae of a specie* of cicada which is com- 

 mon in Martinique and Dominica, have been found 

 with a plant attached to them. As they bury them- 

 selves under the dead leaves to wait their change, 

 it is supposed tha-t, when the season is unfavourable, 

 many perish. The seed of the fungus finds a prop- 

 er bed on this dead insect, and grows. Mr. Ed wards 

 considers that they are not dead pui^ae, but that be- 



