LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD. 193 



J2unt M. They live upon honey, the juices 

 of flowers and fruits, as well as flies, caterpillars, 

 and some other insects. If a wasp attempt to 

 carry home a load, and find it too heavy, and 

 none of its companions are at hand to assist it, 

 it will stop, divide its burden, and return for the 

 remaining half. Dr. Darwin tells a story of a 

 wasp which was attempting to carry off a fly 

 it had found on a gravel walk. The wind was 

 blowing, and the wings of the fly fluttered so 

 much that the wasp was frequently whirled 

 aside, and found it very difficult to fly ; so it 

 descended to the ground, and clipping off both 

 the wings of the fly, it carried off its body with 

 ease. 



Some kinds of wasps suspend their nests from 

 the branches of trees, and some cover them 

 with a sort of varnish to protect them from the 

 weather. 



Harriet. Are the nests of hornets just like 

 those of wasps ? 



Jlunt M. The nests of hornets are very 

 similar to those of the wasps, except that the 

 paper of which they are made is coarser. They 



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