JHE WASF. 505 



Genus Yll.-^Vefpa, '^he IVafp, 



There are no lefs than tvsrenty-elght fpecies of the 

 Wafp ; manj of which are univerfally known. The 

 common charafters by wliich the tribe is diftinguifhed, 

 are, the jaws with which the mouth is ^rmed ; the four 

 ■wings, the firft pair of which are folded, and the iharp 

 pointed fling which is ufually concealed within the body; 

 the abdomen is joined to the thorax by a fliort ftalk, and 

 the whole body is fmooth *. 



The crabro or hornet is not found in Scotland, though 

 common in South Britain. The antennae, head, and legs, 

 are of a brown or chefnut colour : the abdomen is of a 

 fine orange brown ; but on the extenfion of the annuli, it 

 difcovers on each fide a line of black : the wings are of the 

 colour of amber ; and the animal, for fize, merits the 

 firfh rank among the vefp^e. It builds its neft in the body 

 of decayed trees f . 



Vefpa vulgaris, the common wafp. The thorax of this 

 fpecies is black, furrounded on the anterior part by a 

 yellow line ; the abdomen is of a golden yellow, having 

 triangular fpots down the back part, qnd black ones on 

 each fide. 



The wafps in general feem to fill up a middle rank be- 

 tween the ichneumons and the bees i like the former, 



they 



f Syft. Nat. p. 984. f Harris's ExpoCt. Tab. 37, p. ^tj. 



