0 
survive the winter, and which have been impreg- 
nated in the preceding autumn, seek out a suitable 
situation for their nests, and proceed to form a few 
cells in which they deposit the eggs of neuters only. 
These eggs are often laid when the cell is in an un- 
finished state, in order that they may be hatched as 
early as possible, and proceed to assist the foundress 
of the nest in her labours. ‘Two or more females 
never unite in forming a colony, but each nest is the 
work of a single individual. 
The author of the Insect Miscellanies (p. 307) 
states, that “‘ the female wasp, instead of producing 
“ at her first laying the eggs of workers only, depo- 
“ sits those of males and females; but the latter, 
* when hatched and come to maturity, are only the 
“sixth part of the size of their mother, and only 
“ lay the eggs of males.” This statement seems to 
have been founded on some remarks of M. Perrot, 
a friend of Hubers“, who supposed that there were 
two sorts of female wasps, the smaller of which 
were not larger than neuters, and which only laid 
the eggs of males; but he did not succeed in esta- 
blishing this fact, which is entirely opposed to my 
own observation, as well as that of other persons 
who have practically attended to the subject. I 
have never found the eggs of males or females, 
early in the year, in any nest; and all the female 
wasps I have ever examined have been nearly as 
large as the foundress of the colony. Since the end 
of their creation is the reproduction of the species, 
and as the females do not lay eggs the same year 
that they are hatched, (according to most authors,) 
or take any part in the labours of the colony, they 
d Vide Kirby and Spence, vol. ii. p. 108. 
