OF NATURAL HISTORY. ?6'3 



hew t-epublic. She either finds or digs a liole under the 

 earth, builds cells for the reception of her eggs, and feeds 

 the worms which proceed from them. Whenever any of 

 thefe neuter worms are transformed into flies, they immedi- 

 ately ailifl their parent in augmenting the number of cells 

 and combs, and in feeding the young worms, which are 

 daily hatching from the eggs. In a word, this female wafp, 

 which in fpring was perfectly folitary, without any proper 

 habitation, and had every operation to perform, has, 

 in autumn, feveral thoufands of her offspring at her devo- 

 tion, and is furnifhed with a magnificient palace, or rather 

 city, to prote<St her from the injuries of the weather and from 

 external enemies. 



With regard to the male wafps, it is uncertain whether 

 any of them furvive the winter. But, though not fo indo- 

 lent as the males of the honey-bee, they can be of little affif^- 

 ance to the female *, for they never engage in any work of 

 importance, fuch as conflruiSlIng cells, or fortifying the ex- 

 ternal cover of the nefl. They are never brought forth till 

 towards the end of Auguft ; and their fole occupation feems 

 to be that of keeping the nefl clean : They carry out every 

 kind of filth, and the carcafTes of fuch of their companions 

 as happen to die. In performing this operation, two of them 

 often join, and, as mentioned in another place, when the load 

 is too heavy, they cut off the head, and tranfport the dead 

 animal at two times. 



In the beginning of fpring, when the female wafp has built 

 her fubterraneous habitation, which is foon to be peopled 

 with thoufands of flies, flie has no occafion for the males ; 

 becaufe, In the month of September or Oflober, fhe had 

 been previoufly impregnated. The males and females are 

 produced at the fame time, and they are nearly equal In num- 

 ber. Like the male honey-bees, the male wafps are deflltute 

 • of icings, but the females and neuters have ftings, the poifcn^ 



