ORDER VI 
VEIN-WINGED INSECTS—(HYMENOPTERA). 
** QUANTO potius Deorum opera celebrare, quam Philippi 
aut Alexandri latrocinia.”—This sentiment, uttered many 
years ago by Seneca, ‘‘ How much better it is to admire the 
works of the gods, than the highway robberies of a Philip 
or an Alexander!” has probably been repeated thousands of 
times since by students of Natural History. Its truth has 
been acknowledged and verified by the experience of sages 
and philosophers in every age. But in no department of 
Zoology has it been more often recognized and felt than in 
the interesting order of insects we are about, to describe. 
The practical utility of many of the Hymenopterous insects, 
their persevering industry, the wonderful ingenuity with 
which they construct their artificial dwellings, the prudence 
and economy with which they collect and store up food for 
themselves and their offspring, have always rendered them 
the objects of man’s peculiar admiration and care; and not- 
withstanding, like many of our most worthy and benevolent 
citizens, they make no show of beauty on parade, they have 
always been regarded as the most practically interesting 
and useful of all the insect tribes. 
The insects of the order Hymenoptera vary very much in 
size ; some are smaller than a flea, while others measure, with 
their ovipositor, full three inches. All are distinguished by 
their four membranaceous wings, which are marked with 
branching veins, and which are generally shorter and small- 
er than those of the insects of the foregoing orders. The 
body of the perfect insect is slender, with the exception of 
