172 VESPID^ — WASPS, HORNETS. 



the following anecdote is related : "Eight miles from Gran- 

 die , the muleteers suddenly called out ' Marambundas ! 



Mararabundas !' which indicated the approach of Wasps. 

 In a moment all the animals, whether loaded or otherwise, 

 lay down on their backs, kicli:ing most violently ; while the 

 blacks, and all persons not already attacked, ran away in 

 different directions, all being careful, by a wide sweep, to 

 avoid the swarms of tormentors that came forward like a 

 cloud. I never witnessed a panic so sudden and complete, 

 and really believe that the bursting of a water-spout could 

 hardly have produced more commotion. However, it must 

 be confessed that the alarm was not without good reason, 

 for so severe is the torture inflicted by these pigmy assail- 

 ants, that the bravest travelers are not ashamed to fly, the 

 instant they perceive the host approaching, which is of com- 

 mon occurrence on the Campos."^ 



Dr. Fairfax, in the Philosophical Transactions, mentions 

 a lady, who had such a horror of Wasps, that during the 

 season in which they abound in houses, she always confined 

 herself to her apartment. "■^ 



Dr. James tells us: "The combs (of the Hornet) are 

 recommended in a drench for that disorder in horses, which 

 Yigetius, L. 2, c. 23, calls scrofula, meaning, I believe, what 

 we call the strangles."'' 



Hornets'-nest is smoked under horses' noses for distemper, 

 cold in the head, and such like diseases. It is also given to 

 horses in their feed for thick-windedness. 



The nests of Hornets are gathered by the country people 

 to clean spectacles. 



Topsel, in his History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents, 

 has the following prognostications of the weather from the 

 appearances of Hornets : " They serve instead of good 

 almanacks to countrey people, to foretel tempests and 

 change of weather, as hail, rain, and snow : for if they flie 

 about in greater numbers, and be oftner seen about any 

 place, then usually they are wont, it is a sigue of heat and 

 fair weather the next day. But if about twilight they are 

 observed to enter often their nests, as though they would 

 hide themselves, you must the next day expect rain, winde, 



1 Kirby's Bridgewater Treatise. — Saturday Mag., ix. 239. 



2 Phil. Trans., i. 201. 

 » iMed. Diet. 



