1(5 t'HILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1724. 



An Observatio)i of the same Comet, at Albano. By Sig. Francisco Bianrhini. 

 N" 382, p. 5J. Abridgtd from the Latin. 



Sig. Bianchini perceived this comet Oct. 17. It appeared as a very thin nebu- 

 lous globe, with a small bright nucleus in the middle. Besides the nebula or 

 atmosphere of a comet, it had a short tail directed to the east. 



Sig. B. traced its path through the heavens by several nights observations, by 

 which he found that its path was through the plane of a great circle, inter- 

 cepting the ecliptic in 9° of Aquarius, at an angle of 80° nearly. Its place, 

 Oct. 21, was in 6° 45' of Aquarius, with 8° 5' north latitude. After several 

 trials, he could not find any sensible parallax, consequently its distance from the 

 earth was very considerable. 



Observations on Wasps, and the Difference of their Sexes. By the Rev. Mr. 

 Derham, F. R. S. N° 382, p. 53. 



In the beginning of July, 1723, Mr. D. observed several wasps flying about 

 on the top of the collegiate chapel in Windsor oastle, and particularly fre- 

 quenting a covering of deal boards, and the pieces of timber lying on the leads. 

 Most of these wasps were of a larger sort than usual. On July 6, he observed 

 a cluster of only three wasps closely embracing each other, one of which 

 was a large female, the other two of a smaller sort. And soon after he found 

 eight or ten wasps closely hanging together, and divers other such like parcels. 

 In the midst of all these was constantly a queen wasp, and only one, I he rest 

 being always of a different sort from either the queen or the common wasps. 

 Therefore examining another company of them with greater strictness, he found 

 the queen wasp, in coitu, with one of the other wasps, so closely joined tail 

 to tail, that it was some time before they were parted. After this he caught 

 all the wasps he could on the lop of the chapel, but could not see one of the 

 common labouring wasps among them; but all were for the most part male wasps, 

 with now and then a queen, or female, among them, and she generally in coitu. 



Hence it appears, that there are three sorts of wasps, the queens, or females; 

 the kings, or males; and the common labouring wasps; each of them very dis- 

 tinct. The queen, or female wasp, by many called the king wasp, is much 

 longer in the body, and larger than any other wasp. The male wasps are less 

 than the queens, but as much longer and larger than the common wasps, as 

 the queen is longer and larger than these. These males also have no stings, 

 which the queens and common wasps all have. And these are those which 

 Moufet says, authors call 'Ani^Tfn?, and take to be females, though he is of 



