ANTS. 199 



females are destined for the continuation of the species. 

 Each of them becomes the founder of a new republic. When 

 a queen bee departs from a hive, in order to establish a new 

 one, she is always accompanied with several thousand indus- 

 trious laborers, ready to perform every necessary operation. 

 But the female wasp 4ias not the aid of a single laborer ; for 

 all the neuters are dead before the beginning of the spring. 

 The female alone lays the foundation of a new republic. She 

 either finds or digs a hole under the earth, builds cells for the 

 reception of her eggs, and feeds the worms which proceed 

 from them. Whenever any of these neuter worms are trans- 

 formed into flies, they immediately assist their parent in aug- 

 menting the number of cells and combs, and in feeding the 

 young worms which are daily hatching from the eggs. In a 

 word, this female wasp, which in spring was perfectly solitary, 

 without any proper habitation, and had every operation to 

 perform, has, in autumn, several thousands of her offspring at 

 her devotion, and is furnished with a magnificent palace, or 

 rather city, to protect her from the injuries of the weather 

 and from external enemies. 



With regard to the male wasps, it is uncertain whether any 

 of them survive the winter. But, though not so indolent as 

 the males of the honey-bee, they can be of little assistance to 

 the female; for they never engage in any work of importance, 

 such as constructing cells, or fortifying the external cover of 

 the nest. They are never brought forth till towards the end 

 of August ; and their sole occupation seems to be that of 

 keeping the nest clean. They carry out every kind of filth, 

 and the carcasses of such of their companions as happen to 

 die. In performing this operation, two of them often join, 

 and, as mentioned in another place, when the load is too 

 heavy, they cut off the head, and transport the dead animal 

 at two different times. 



The males and females are produced at the same time, and 

 they are nearly equal in number. Like the male honey-bees, 

 the male wasps are destitute of stings ; but the females and 

 neuters have stings, the poisonous liquor of which, when in- 

 troduced into any part of the human body, excites inflamma- 

 tion, and creates a considerable degree of pain. 



' The habitations and economy of the various species of 

 Ants are equally curious with those which have been de- 

 scribed. There are, as with the wasps and bees, individuals 

 of three sorts; males and females, which have wings, and 

 neuters, which are without them. The former desert the habi- 



