128 Marvels of the Universe 



Finally-, there is the smooth body clothed in a 



flexible suit of mail, perfect in fit, and rhythmic in 



action. Attached b}' its slender waist, the abdomen 



i can be twisted about in a wonderful manner, until that 



^ terrible organ the sting is directed against an assailant. 



^^ \^'hat a complex weapon the sting really is may be 



^^k appreciated from the accompanying photo-micro- 



^^^ graphs. As seen with the unaided eye, it appears as 



^^|L only a protruding point which might penetrate the 



^^^ skin just as the point of a needle or thorn would do; 



^^R but under the lens it is revealed as a much more 



^^^ diabolical tool. The penetrating point becomes onlj' a 



^^H^ sheath for two darts barbed at the tips and furnished 



^^^ft with powerful muscles at their base, and which can 



^^^A be projected into the wound, at the same time opening 



^^^V the way to a poison duct, from which, by the same 



^^^B action, formic acid is pumped into the puncture. 



^^^V The queen wasp is not nearly so aggressive 



^I^H as the workers, and much less likely to sting ; the 



'"'"'""'-''^ p^^^^ ^^ \\.\sps sting''"''"' barbs on her darts are often very imperfectly 



A small portion of the point of a Wasp's stins is dcvcloped. A worker-wasp may lose its hfe while 



here much enlarged to show the barbed edge. Stinging an cncm}', owiug to its darts adhering, but 



the queen, in the interests of the race, is more protected, and uses her sting for its true 



function — namely, egg-depositing. The ovipositor of the worker-wasp, having largelj- lost its 



original function, has now developed into a comple.x weapon of offence, and is also used 



for paralysing living prej^ by means of its poison. It is scarcely- necessary to add that the male 



wasp is harmless. 



THE CANDLE-TREE 



BY EDW.^RD STEP, F.L.S. 



The remarkable tree shown on the page opposite is a native of Central America. In the Isthmus 

 of Panama, especially in the valley of the River Chagres, there are forests composed almost entirely 

 of this tree, which from the peculiar shape of its fruits is known as the Candle-Tree. Dr. Seemann 

 tells us that to enter one of these forests is like walking through an old-fashioned tallow-chandler's 

 shop, for from the older branches and the trunks of the trees hang what appear to be long candles 

 from two to four feet in length and of a yellow wax colour. These are the fruits of the tree, and 

 they contain seeds that are much like lentils in appearance. Though these fruits resemble wax- 

 candles, they are more akin to tallow, for they are said to yield as much as si.xty per cent, of fat, 

 from which a lamp-oil is prepared. They also form a capital cattle food, and their peculiar apple- 

 like odour is imparted to the flesh of the animals. 



Another species, known as the Cuajilote, is used as food bj' the people of Mexico, where it is a 

 native. In both cases the fruit is preceded by large white bell-shaped flowers, and the trees in bloom 

 have a fine appearance. 



These trees are related to the Calabash-tree, of whose fruits bottles and other vessels are con- 

 trived by extracting the pulp from the cut end, but leaving the rind otherwise unbroken. Thus dried 

 in the sun, they become hard, tough and watertight. 



