400 INSECT MANUFACTURES. 



Some (as those of the silk-worm) are of pure silk, mingled 

 in others, in various proportions, with baser materials, such as 

 hairs from the weaver's own body, particles of wood, bark, or 

 earth ; while a few are distinguished by partaking largely of 

 animal secretions, widely different from silk, such as (in the 

 lacquey) a powder resembling brimstone, and (in the oak-egger) 

 a calcareous substance not dissimilar to the crust of an egg. 

 This cocoon of the Hawthorn Saw-fly, 1 exposed with its occu- 

 pant all through the winter upon leafless hedges, is composed of 

 a material tough as leather, but much harder (also an animal 

 secretion). Here is an empty one with a curious lid set open 

 as for the exit of the perfect fly, which, furnished with an 

 adapted tool for the cutting of this singular trap-door, never 

 fails in its circular excision to leave entire just such a portion 

 as serves for an attachment and a hinge. 



With a look at one other fabric, we must take leave for the 

 present of insect manufactures. 



This greyish-white substance is paper, a paper strong, 

 smooth, and durable, such as, if in sheets of size sufficient, we 

 might even now be writing on. It is composed of vegetable 

 fibres, reduced to a pulp, united by size or glue, and spread 

 out into thin leaf. It is wrought by an artificer, who adopts 

 a process precisely similar to that employed by those among 

 us of the same occupation, only with more invariable success 

 and skill. 



What may be the name of this clever paper-maker ? This 

 specimen of work nearly discloses it. It is an aggregated col- 

 lection of hexagonal cells, in all but material resembling a 

 honeycomb ; and a comb it is, a portion of one taken from the 

 nest of a common wasp. 



Now let us examine a few insect tools. Wonderful alike for 

 its simplicity and the manifold uses which it is made to serve, 

 here is the double pickaxe, each blade toothed on the inner 

 edge, acting thus all the better as a fast-holding pair of forceps, 



1 Tenthredo. 



