The Common Wasp 



On the 6th of January, with snow out of 

 doors, the last of them perishes. 



Whence arises this mortaHty, which mows 

 down the whole of my Wasps? My atten- 

 tions have preserved them from the calami- 

 ties which at first sight might appear to cause 

 their death under the usual conditions. Fed 

 upon honey and grapes, they have not suf- 

 fered from famine : warmed by the heat of 

 my fire, they have not suffered from cold; 

 cheered almost daily by the sun's rays and 

 living in their own nest, they have not suf- 

 fered from home-sickness. Then what have 

 they died of? 



I can understand the disappearance of the 

 males. These are henceforth useless; the 

 pairing has taken place and the eggs are 

 fertile. I can less easily explain the death 

 of the neuters, who, on the return of spring, 

 would be of such great assistance when new 

 colonies are founded. What I do not un- 

 derstand at all is the death of the females. 

 I had nearly a hundred; and not one has sur- 

 vived the first few days of the new year. 

 Having left their nymphal cells in October 

 and November, they still possessed the vigor- 

 ous attributes of youth ; they represented the 

 future; yet this sacred quality of prospective 

 267 



