VOL. XLVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 183 



black near tlie body, then yellow, ending in cinnamon colour. Some have 6 or 

 7 rings, of a bright yellow colour round the tail part, with small hollows or in- 

 dents on the upper parts. The divisions between the rings are of" a bright jet 

 colour ; the face is yellow ; on the head are 2 horns. These insects are very in- 

 dustrious in making their nest. The top is fastened to the ceiling, and formed 

 of many round coverings, one within another, yet not touching each other, by 

 the 8th of an inch. Probably this space is left to make the cells, in which they 

 lay their eggs. 



Their manner of working is curious, and as it is principally perfomied exter- 

 nally there is an opportunity of seeing every circumstance of the operation, which 

 is carried on with as much application, and perhaps more skill and contrivance 

 than the honey-bees, who are beholden to a hive or hollow tree, &c. to fabricate 

 their combs in ; whereas these little animals are the sole builders of the outer 

 walls, as well as the interior parts of their dwellings. They range about for the 

 materials, but with all his endeavours Mr. H. could never observe from whence 

 they were collected ; only that they bring a little lump of dark-coloured paste 

 between their fore legs, about the size of a radish seed. This they carry first to 

 the inside of the covering, which they are about to finish, and stay near half a 

 minute, probably to work some of it on that side ; then they return with the 

 greatest part, to enlarge it on the outside, which they execute in a most dextrous 

 manner, by taking the paste from between their legs with their mouths, (which 

 open cross ways to their body) and fixing it on the edge of the covering, working 

 backwards, for about an inch at a time in length, and then spread and smooth it 

 with their horns. This is all performed in about 2 minutes, and they are seldom 

 more than 5 days in finishing a whole cover. Their number is only between 20 

 and 30. They seem not at all hurtful ; and are so intent on their business, 

 that if 3 or 4 people at a time are looking within so many inches of their nest, 

 they neither attack them, nor forbear to carry on the public work, which comes 

 to be about 5 inches diameter, and about 4 deep. 



They continued their work till they had finished J 5 coverings one over another, 

 and began 3 more, which they never completed. About the l6th of August 

 there was a cessation of their usual industry. There was only one or two in a day 

 at work, which continual to the 26th, when they quite gave over adding any 

 more to their nest. Since that, he could only see one or two going in and out 

 once or twice a day, for about a fortnight after. In that time he observed 2 of 

 these insects come out of their nest, of an extraordinary size, at least one-third 

 larger than those that built the nest. These seem, and doubtless are, the parents 

 or queens appointed by the all-wise Creator for continuing their species, as their 

 sluggishness has a near analogy to the queen-bees, that are sometimes seen to 



