LEPIDOPTERA. 389 



The fossorial Hymenoptera either burrow solitarily into 

 sand, wood, &c., provisioning their nests with other insects, 

 or are parasitic upon other Fossores. Some of the Vespidce 

 are also similarly fossorial, hut the true wasps live in societies, 

 consisting of males, females, and neuters, and constructing 



nests of various sizes and forms. The Mellifera consist of 

 the various species of bees, the Andrenida, and many 

 of the Apidae being either fossorial 

 (but provisioning their nests with 

 pollen-paste), or are parasitic upon 

 other bees ; whilst some of the species, 

 as the humble-bees and hive-bees, are 

 social, living in large communities. 



ORDER IX. LEPIDOPTERA. 



This is a very extensive and beautiful order of four-winged 

 insects, known by the English names butterflies and moths, 

 and distinguished by having the wings composed of a double 

 transparent membrane, clothed on the upper and under 

 sides with minute coloured scales, resembling dust or farina. 

 The eyes are large and lateral, the antennae generally long 

 and multi-articulate, and very variable in form ; the mouth 

 is composed apparently of a long and spirally coiled organ, 



L L3 



