UNCLE IN ENGLAND, 149 



he had discovered there ; the nest of the mason 

 wasp. It is not common in England, and has 

 never been found in this part of the country 

 before. The nest is a round cavity, from two 

 to three inches deep ; which the insect bores 

 through a hard sandy soil; and instead of 

 throwing away the sand, as it is dug out, the 

 little mason, by means of a glutinous fluid, forms 

 it into oblong pellets, and arranges them round 

 the entrance of the hole, so as to form a sort of 

 cylindrical tunnel ; which sometimes, Frederick 

 says, is about two inches long. These little pel- 

 lets are so nicely attached to each other, with 

 regular spaces at the corners, that they have 

 quite the appearance of filligree work. It is said 

 that the use of the tunnel is to prevent the in- 

 cursions of ichneumons, and other artful insects, 

 who are always on the watch to intrude their 

 own young, and who are perhaps deterred by the 

 artificial look of this entrance. One egg only 

 is placed in the nest ; and along with it are 

 stored, as food for the future young, several fat 

 grubs. But these are always full grown, be- 

 cause, as they are just about to pass into the 

 pupa state, they require no food for themselves. 

 Frederick opened the nest ; and we examined 

 it without fear, because the mason wasp having 

 deposited its egg, and supplied it with food, does 

 not remain to guard it. We found twelve grubs 

 closely packed ; each of them being coiled above 



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