vili 
CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER III. 
SOCIAL INSECTS. 
Arrangement of groups—Nests of PoLyBlA—Curious method 
of enlargement—Structure of the nests—How concealed— 
Various modes of attachment—A curious :specimen—The 
Hive Brg, and its claims to notice—General listory of the 
hive—Form of the cclls—The royal cell—Its structure and use 
—Uses of the ordinary cells—Structure of the Bee-cell— 
Economy of space—How produced—Theories of different 
mathematicians — Measurement of angles —A_ logarithmic 
table corrected hy the Bee-cell—The “lozenge ” a key to the 
cell—How to form it—Beautiful mathematic proportions of 
the lozenge—Mcthod of making the cell or a model—Con- 
jectured analogy between the cell and certain crvstals—Effect 
of the cell upon honey—The Hornet and its nest—Its 
favourite localities—Difficulties of taking a Hornet’s nest— 
Habits of the insect—Mr. Stone’s method of taking the nest 
—The Syna@ca and its habitation—Beautiful nests in the 
British Museum—Description of the insect—Nest of the 
EvucuErra—Its external form—Curious discovery in dissec- 
tion—A suspended colony—Conjectures respecting the struc- 
ture—Nest from the Oxford Museum—Remarkable form of 
its doors, and material of which it is made—The SMALL 
ERMINE MOTH and its ravages—Its large social habitation 
—General habits of the larva—Why the sparrow does not eat 
them—The GOLD-TAILED Morn and its beautiful social 
nest—Description of a specimen from Wiltshire—Illustration 
of the theory of heat—The Brown-TAILED MorH and its 
nest—Social habitations of the P:AcH and SMALL TorRTOISE- 
SHELL BUTTERFLIES 
CHAPTER IV. 
SOCIAL INSECTS (Continued). 
A curious Ant from India—Locality of its nest—Deseription of 
the nest—Its material and mode of structure—A nocturnal 
misadventure—The Driver ANT of Africa—Deseription of 
the insect—Reason for its name—Its general habits—Destruc- 
tive powers of the Driver Ant—How the insects devour 
PAGH 
24 
