504 THE WASP. 



they are rapacious and carnivorous, and, like the latter, 

 they conftrudl hives, and fometimes feed on the produce 

 of flowers j they devour fruit, butcher meat, and carry 

 on continual hoftihties againft almoft every other fp^.'cies 

 of fly : they are at once the rivals and tUe enemies of the 

 common bee ; many of which annually perilh by their at- 

 tacks. 



Almofl; every perfon muft have feen the eftabliflxitient 

 ipade under ground by the common wafp. It is a kind 

 of fubterraneous city, which at certain feafons of the year 

 contains many thoufands of inhabitants, and is conftrufl- 

 ed nearly with the fame ingenuity and elegance as that of 

 the domeftic bee. Like it, it is internally formed with 

 combs, confiding of a number of hexagonal cells, all en- 

 veloped under one common covering, like coarfe paper, 

 which is conilru6led with great art. In this particular 

 they excel the common bee, which contents itfelf with 

 the cover afforded by the hive, or with the trunk of 3l 

 rotten tree, in their wild ftate. 



Though the wafps generally make choice of fome large 

 hole under ground for the conftrudion of their neft, they 

 have neverthelefs much labour to undergo in removing 

 protuberances, and carrying away earth, till it is brought 

 to that fpherical figure which fuics their purpofes. This 

 work completed, they next conltrud; that paper like co- 

 vering with which the whole hive is lined. The combs 

 in which the cells are lodged next claim their attention : 

 Thefe are ranged horizontally in different ftories, fome- 

 times twelve or fifteen above each other, all fupported by 

 colonades, between which the whole citizens of this fub- 

 terraneous commonwealth are feen at times to walk, lik^ 

 men in the Hreets of a town. The cells of the wafps are 

 3 110? 



