HYMENOPTEEA. 313 



vocation than to sacrifice themselves to the welfare of the larvae. 

 The workers construct the nest and bring in the provisions. This 

 is the case with some bees, wasps, and ants. 



Some deposit their eggs in the bodies of other insects, which die 

 immediately the larvae which live in them have attained their full 

 development. The larvae of the ChalcidicB and of the Ichneumon fur- 

 nish examples of Hymenoptera which inhabit the interior of the body 

 of another insect. Other parasitical species carry on their depre- 

 dations in a different way. They content themselves with laying 

 their eggs in the nests of other species of the Order, which have the 

 advantage over them in being able to construct for themselves places 

 of refuge. Their larvae live thus on their neighbours' goods, nourish- 

 ing themselves on the provisions which were laid up for others. In 

 this way live the Cleptes, the Chrysides, &c. Lastly, others, such 

 as the Gall -insects, and the Tentkredineta, or Saw-flies, live in their 

 first state exposed on plants, and feed upon their leaves. 



We shall only here describe the principal families of the Order 

 Hymenoptera, which contains a considerable number of species. 

 These families will be 1st. The Apiariae, containing the Honey 

 Bees ; the Melipona, and the Humble Bees. 2nd. The Vespiarine, or 

 Wasps. 3rd. The Formicarue, or Ants. 4th. The Gallicolce, or 

 Gall-insects. 



BEES. Man, from the very earliest age, before any civilisation 

 existed, knew the value of bees, and took advantage of the pro- 

 ducts of these industrious insects. The Bible makes mention 

 of bees. Their Hebrew name is Deborah. The Greeks called 

 them by the name of Melissa, or Melitta. 



Their wonderful architectural powers, their economical fore- 

 thought, the wonderful combination of their reasonings, which 

 denote a real intelligence, their admirable social organization, 

 have in all times fixed the attention of naturalists, as they have 

 also that of poets and thinkers. Virgil has celebrated them. 

 In the fourth book of "his Georgics, the Latin poet has summed 

 up all that the ancients knew about bees. He paints with a good 

 deal of truth many traits in their history, points out their enemies, 

 and sets forth with accuracy all the care that should be taken of 

 them. In the words of the Mantuan poet, they are heavenly 

 gifts, dona ccelestia, and their intelligence excited his admiration : 



