INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 7 
does not wholly escape its influence. Among the 
precious remains of Hunter’s manuscripts,* which 
were saved from the flames, are two papers on the 
‘Economy of Hornets and Wasps,’ to which, as well 
as to his ‘ Observations on Bees,’ there will be frequent 
occasion to refer. It is remarkable how this great 
man’s habits of accurate observation, and of not 
inferring beyond legitimate grounds, have produced 
Essays, which, examined by the light of all that has 
been learned since his time, still appear—to my 
prejudiced mind perhaps—almost faultless. 
However, ample justice has been done to wasps at 
last. The clue to all the seeming irregularities in 
the proceedings of an insect usually working by fixed 
unchanging rules was suspected to exist In a want 
of proper discrimination of the several species. And 
this source of error has been finally removed by the 
labours of Mr. F. Smith,f who has condensed into 
the space of a few pages the description of the 
specific characters of the British Social Wasps, and 
after so many years has realized Latreille’st wish 
for another Kirby to clear up the Natural History of 
the Wasp Family. 
The literature of wasps is not large. Hagen,§ 
regret much that I have not this work now accessible, to correct and 
enlarge my references to its charming pages. 
* Hunter. ‘ Posthumous Works by Owen.’ Vol.I. On the Eco- 
nomy of Hornets and Wasps. 
+ Smith. ‘Catalogue of British Fossorial Hymenoptera, Formi- 
cidw, and Vespide, in the Collection of the British Museum.’ 
London, 1858, pp. 211—222. | 
+ Westwood. ‘ Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects,’ 
Vol. II, p. 248. 
§ Hagen. ‘ Bibliotheca Entomologica.’ II Band. 8vo. Leipzig, 
1862 - 63. 
