88 STRANGE DWELLINGS. 



hatched, and have produced very tiny grubs, which are always 

 hungry and require much attention. They grow rapidly, and, 

 m proportion to their growth, the parent Wasp adds to the 

 walls of their cells, so that the young grubs are suspended, with 

 their heads downwards, as, indeed, is the custom with very 

 many hymenopterous larvae. The Wasp proceeds in her task, 

 having all the cares of the nest upon her — the enlargement of 

 the chamber, the building of the nest, the transport of materials, 

 the deposition of the eggs, and the feeding of the ever-hungry 

 grubs. 



In due time, however, the oldest grubs cease to feed, spin 

 a silken cover over their cells, and release their parent from 

 further attendance upon them. In the cells they undergo the 

 change to the perfect state, and, after they have passed a short 

 season in retirement, they tear away the silken cover with their 

 jaws, and come forth as perfect Wasps. As soon as they have 

 gained strength to use their limbs, they take the heavy labours 

 upon them, and the work goes merrily on, the mother Wasp 

 having little to do but to deposit eggs in the cells as fast as 

 they are made. 



Before very long, the first cell-terrace is completely full, and 

 more accommodation is needed. This is supplied in a very 

 curious manner. Taking the junction point of these cells as 

 the foundation, the Wasps construct several pendent pillars, 

 exactly like the one which has already been described, and, by 

 dint of adding cells to each, they all unite, and form a second 

 terrace, below the first, the distance between them being just 

 sufficiently large to permit the Wasps to cross each other. In 

 this, as in the former terrace, all the mouths of the cell are 

 downwards and their bases upwards, so that the bases of the 

 second terrace form a floor on which the Wasps can walk while 

 feeding the young contained in the first. A third, fourth, and 

 fifth terrace are added in this manner, all alike, the cells being 

 so small that the mother Wasp cannot even put her head into 

 them 



It will be seen, therefore, that, as insects never grow after 



