HABITATIONS OF INSECTS. 503 



the three orders of individuals which compose the com- 

 munity ; the largest for the grubs of females, the smallest 

 for those of workers. The last always occupy an entire 

 comb, while the cells of the males and females are often 

 intermixed. Besides openings which are left between 

 the walls of the combs to admit of access from one to 

 the other, there are at the bottom of each nest two holes, 

 by one of which the wasps uniformly enter, and through 

 the other issue from the nest, and thus avoid all con- 

 fusion or interruption of their common labours. As the 

 nest is often a foot and a half under ground, it is requi- 

 site that a covered way should lead to its entrance. This 

 is excavated by the wasps, who are excellent miners, and 

 is often very long and tortuous, forming a beaten road 

 to the subterranean city, well known to the inhabitants 

 though its entrance is concealed from incurious eyes. 

 The cavity itself which contains the nest is either the 

 abandoned habitation of moles or field-mice, or a cavern 

 purposely dug out by the wasps, which exert themselves 

 with such industry as to accomplish the arduous under- 

 taking in a few days. 



When the cavity and entrance to it are completed, 

 the next part of the process is to lay the foundations of 

 the city to be included in it, which, contrary to the 

 usual custom of builders, wasps begin at the top, con- 

 tinuing downwards. I have already told you that the 

 coatings which compose the dome are a sort of rough 

 but thin paper, and that the rest of the nest is composed 

 of the same substance variously applied. " Whence," 

 you will inquire, "do the wasps derive it?" They are 

 manufacturers of the article, and prepare it from a ma- 

 terial even more singular than any of those which have 



