18 
confirm his account from the opportunities I have 
had of watching them. It appears therefore that 
Dr. Leach’s statement is entitled to very little credit. 
There is but one statement of Reaumur’s, of any 
importance, which I have always found to be contra- 
dicted by my own experience; and upon this point 
I have the satisfaction of being able to bring for- 
ward the authority of Mr. Denison in my favour, 
who has paid great attention to the habits of wasps, 
and whose observations had also led him to a different 
conclusion from those of the French naturalist. It 
is with respect to the position that the larva: of the 
male wasps occupy in the nest. Reaumur is speak- 
ing of the ground wasp, but his remarks apply 
equally to the other species. He says, “ It is re- 
“ markable that the cells of the neuters are never 
“mixed up with those of the males or of the fe- 
« males. One layer is composed exclusively of the 
“ cell of neuters, but the cells of the male and female 
“grubs are often found in the same layer.—As the 
“ larvee of these two sexes are of equal length, it is 
« necessary for them to be provided with cells deep 
“enough to suit them. But the cells of the male 
“ Jarve are narrower than those of the female ones, 
“ because the males never become equally large in 
“ diameter. I have often opened the cells, when the 
“ inmates were nearly ready to emerge, and I have 
« always found that the cell contained either a male 
“ or a female, as I had previously supposed it would 
“from its appearance.” Kirby and Spence” also 
quote this statement. I have never found in any 
single instance a male larva in the cells appropriated 
to females, and Mr. Denison has come to the same 
¥ Vol. i. p. 507. 
