220 A DEFENCE OF WASPS. 



peopling of her colony. Although we do not dignify this 

 mother-foundress of the Wasp's nest with the name of queen, 

 she earns, certainly, by her independent exertions, a much 

 higher claim to that title, than does the pampered monarch of 

 the Bee-hive, who keeps her state in idleness, or performs 

 nothing for the honour she receives, except increasing the 

 numbers of her subjects. Be it noted, however, that the 

 foundress Wasp, although the first, is not the sole mother of 

 her community. 



We have now, we hope, done away with any erroneous 

 impressions which we, in our introduction of a foundress 

 Wasp, might, to her prejudice, have helped to confirm ; but 

 we shall go farther, and at the risk of incurring almost as much 

 odium as themselves, attempt a defence of Wasps in general. 

 At its head, however, we must be allowed to place a well- 

 remembered incident of our childhood, because it may help to 

 account for our strange advocacy of a persecuted race. 



When we were of stature exceeding by about a head the 

 height of our nurse's knee, we learnt to lisp, after her, the well- 

 known hymn of Dr. Watts, holding up Bee excellence for 

 baby imitation. One sunny afternoon, as she was enforcing 

 its moral by the busy appliance of her needle, and repeating 

 (we after her) line upon line of our daily lesson, 



" How doth the little busy Bee, 

 Improve each shining hour ;" 



our eyes were attracted by the sight of a Wasp, which had 



