350 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



The workers are the most numerous, and to us the only troublesome 

 part of the community ; upon whom devolves the main business of the 

 nest. In the summer and autumnal months, they go forth by myriads into 

 the neighbouring country to collect provisions ; and on their return to the 

 common den, after reserving a sufficiency for the nutriment of the young 

 brood, they divide the spoil with great impartiality ; part being given to 

 the females, part to the males, and part to those workers that have been 

 engaged in extending and fortifying the vespiary. This division is volun- 

 tarily made, without the slightest symptom of compulsion. Several wasps 

 assemble round each of the returning workers, and receive their respective 

 portions. It is curious and interesting to observe their motions upon this 

 occasion. As soon as a wasp, that has been filling itself with the juice of 

 fruits, arrives at the nest, it perches upon the top, and, disgorging a drop of 

 its saccharine fluid, is attended sometimes by two at once, who share the 

 treasure : this being thus distributed, a second and sometimes a third drop 

 is produced, which falls to the lot of others. 



Wasps do not in general store up honey, but it is found in the cells of 

 some European species of Polistes, as well as in those of America ; and M. 

 A. de St. Hilaire was nearly poisoned by eating that collected by P. leche- 

 guana, which inhabits Paraguay and Monte Video. 1 Another wasp before 

 referred to under " Habitations of Insects," as forming a nest somewhat 

 similar to that of Chatergus nidulans, also stores up honey, as we learn from 

 the interesting paper of Mr. Adam White, who has named it Myrapetra 

 scuteUans? 



Another principal employment of the workers is the enlarging and re- 

 pairing of the nest. It is extremely amusing to see them engaged upon 

 this foliaceous covering. They work with great celerity ; and though a 

 large number are occupied at the same time, there is not the least confusion. 

 Each individual has its portion of work assigned to it, extending from an 

 inch to an inch and a half, and is furnished with a ball of ligneous fibre, 

 scraped or rather plucked by its powerful jaws from posts, rails, and the 

 like. This is carried in its mouth, and is thus ready for immediate use: 

 but upon this subject I have enlarged in a former letter. The workers also 

 clean the cells and prepare them to receive another egg, after the imago is 

 disclosed and has left it. 



There is good reason for thinking, and the opinion has the sanction of 

 Sir Joseph Banks, that wasps have sentinels placed at the entrances of 

 their nests, which if you can once seize and destroy, the remainder will 

 not attack you. This is confirmed by an observation of Mr. Knight's in 

 the Philosophical Transactions 3 , that if a nest of wasps be approached 

 without alarming the inhabitants, and all communication be suddenly cut 

 off between tbose out of the nest and those within it, no provocation will 

 induce the former to defend it and themselves. But if one escapes from 

 within, it comes with a very different temper, and appears commissioned 

 to avenge public wrongs, and prepared to sacrifice its life in the execution 

 of its orders. He discovered this when quite a boy. 



It sometimes happens that when a large number of female wasps have 

 been observed in the spring, and an abundance of workers has in conse- 

 quence been expected to make their attack upon us in the summer and 



1 Lacordaire, Introd. a VEntom. ii. 511. 2 Annals of Nat. Hist. vii. 316. 



3 For 1807, 242. 



