82 NATURAL HISTORY 



from any of my labourers or woodmen a single idea respecting the hornets-; 

 and some of them are acute intelligent fellows. They say that in 

 splitting old trees in the winter they often find deserted nests ; and I saw 

 the remains of one which they had broken last week in splitting an oak. 

 They are confident that these nests are always mere combs, and without 

 grubs. They also say that they often find in old trees, a solitary and 

 dead hornet, but never more than one at a time in the winter. When 

 you ask them about the regeneration for the ensuing year, they stare, 

 and know no more than my Lord Mayor. I have often seen Mr. King's 

 nest, and will revisit it as soon as this heavy weather ceases. My hornets 

 disappeared gradually, and were all gone in the first week in November. 

 I think it probable that there will be a new nest in the same place next 

 year, and yet I firmly believe that all of this year are gone to the devil, 

 and are as dead as Julius Csesar. "We send three dozen swans' egg- 

 pears, &c, with our compliments to Mrs. Hunter and you. 



" Tours ever truly, 



" "William Eden 1 ." 



Economy of Wasps. 



Of the Progress of Breeding. — At any time of the summer, excepting 

 at the beginning and termination of their colony, we find all the dif- 

 ferent stages of propagation, from the half-formed cell to the egg, the 

 maggot, the chrysalis, and the fly. At the very first we only find eggs, 

 and those of different ages, then those are hatched into maggots in 

 succession ; while the maggots are increasing in size other eggs are 

 hatching, and fresh eggs are laying. The first laid are then becoming 

 chrysalises, while at the same time the wasp or wasps are increasing 

 the hive ; so that we have in a nest, at this stage, eggs of all ages, 

 maggots of all sizes, and chrysalises ; all on each platform. As a platform 

 is beginning to be formed at its centre, by probably forming at first one or 

 more cells, we find as soon as one cell is finished an egg is laid in it, and 

 as the comb extends in circumference so are the eggs laid ; so that we 

 have the whole progress of generation in the same platform beginning 

 at the centre and extending towards the circumference. Some time 

 afterwards, in the centre of the platform, the first eggs hatch, be- 

 coming maggots, then chrysalises, then flies, and they are gone ; leaving 

 empty cells half-broken down and probably a second set of eggs in 



1 [William Eden, Esq., son of Sir Robert Eden, Bart., of West Auckland, was 

 raised to the Peerage of Ireland, by the title of Baron Auckland, 18th November, 

 17S9, and was created a Peer of England, under the same title, 23rd May, 1793.] 



