282 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



those of the bee, and the combs are long and narrow, looking' like 

 one large comb cut into three strips. This curious nest came 

 from Siam. 



In the accompanying illustration are represented two nests, 

 both from tropical America, and both found in similar localities. 

 These are the habitations of two species of wasp, which are re- 

 markable for their honey-making powers. 



In the year 1780, a Spanish officer named Don Felix de Azara 

 was raised from the rank of captain to that of lieutenant colonel, 

 and sent to Paraguay, in order to decide a dispute concerning the 

 limits of the possessions respectively held by Spain and Portugal. 



He was then thirty-four yeara of age, and, being a man of great 

 energy, set to work out the construction of a map of Paraguay. 

 This was a Herculean task, occupying thirteen years in its comple- 

 tion, and forcing De Azara to explore regions before unknown, 

 and to trust himself to the native tribes, who had never before 

 seen the face of a white man. While engaged in this occupation, 

 he made a vast collection of notes upon the native tribes of Para- 

 guay, as well as upon the beasts, birds, insects, and vegetation, to- 

 gether with an account of the method by which the Jesuit mis- 

 sionaries established themselves and ruled the country for many 

 years. 



After his return to Europe in 1801, he published the account 

 of his travels, and met with the usual fate of those who first pene- 

 trate into unknown countries. His statements were not believed, 

 and among those which raised the greatest discredit was an ac- 

 count of certain wa^ps which made honey. Some persons said 

 that the whole statement was a fabrication, and others remarked 

 that the honey-making insects were simply bees, which De Azara 

 had erroneously considered to be wasps. Time, however, had its 

 usual effect, and De Azara, has been proved to be perfectly trust- 

 worthy in his remarks. The two specimens which are represent- 

 ed in the illustration are now in the British Museum, and af- 

 ford tangible proofs that De Azara was right and his detractors 

 wrong. 



The right-hand figure represents the nest of a curious insect, 

 named by Mr. Adam "White Myra^etra scutellarius. The generic 

 title is not very appropriate, being simply a fanciful name, com- 

 posed of the names of two ancient cities, one called Myra, in Ly- 

 cia, and the other Petra, the capital town of Arabia Petrtea. 



