22 Insect Architecture. 



A^lien they are first developed, from those injuries to which they 

 rre peculiarly exposed. Their prospective contrivances for 

 accomplishing these objects are in the highest degree curious. 



Most persons have more or less acquaintance with the 

 hives of the social species of bees and wasps; but little is 

 generally known of the nests constructed by the solitary 

 species, though in many respects these are not inferior to the 

 others in displays of ingenuity and skill. We admire the 

 social bees, labouring together for one common end, in the 

 same way that we look with delight upon the great division 

 of labour in a well-ordered manufactory. As in a cotton-mill 

 some attend to the carding of the raw material, some to its 

 formation into single threads, some to the gathering these 

 threads upon spindles, others to the union of many threads 

 into one, all labouring with invariable precision because 

 they attend to a single object ; so do we view with delight 

 and wonder the successive steps by which the hive-bees bring 

 their beautiful work to its completion, striving, by indi- 

 vidual efforts, to accomplish their general task, never imped- 

 ing each other by useless assistance, each taking a particular 

 department, and each knowing its own duties. We may, 

 however, not the less admire the solitary wasp or bee, who 

 begins and finishes every part of its destined work ; just as 

 we admire the ingenious mechanic who perfects something 

 useful or ornamental entirely by the labour of his own 

 hands, whether he be the patient Chinese carver, who cuts 

 the most elaborately-decorated boxes out of a solid piece of 

 ivory, or the turner of Europe, who produces every variety of 

 elegant form by the skilful application of the simplest means. 



Our island abounds with many varieties of solitary wasps 

 and bees ; and their nests may therefore be easily discovered 

 by those who, in the proper seasons, are desirous of observing 

 the peculiarities of their architecture. 



MASON-WASPS. 



In September, 1828, a common species of solitary mason- 

 wasp (Odynerus, LATE.) was observed by us (J. R.) on the 



