_ INSECTS. 173 



" One sheet, however, of such paper as this would form 

 but a fragile ceiling, quite insufficient to prevent the 

 earth falling down into the nest. The Wasp, accordingly, 

 is not satisfied with her work till she has spread fifteen 

 or sixteen layers, one above the other, rendering the wall 

 altogether nearly two inches thick. The several layers 

 are not placed in contact like the layers of a piece of 

 pasteboard, but with small intervals or open spaces be- 

 tween, appearing somewhat like a grotto built with bivalve 

 shells, particularly when looked at on the outside. This 

 is probably caused by the insect working in a curvilineal 

 manner. 



" Having finished the ceiling, she next begins to build 

 the first terrace of her city, which, under its protection, 

 she suspends horizontally, and not like the combs in a 

 bee-hive, in a perpendicular position. The suspension of 

 which we speak is also light and elegant, compared with 

 the more heavy union of the hive-bees' combs. It is, in 

 fact, a hanging floor, immoveably secured by rods of simi- 

 lar materials with the roof, but rather stronger. From 

 twelve to thirty of these rods, about an inch or less in 

 length, and a quarter of an inch in diameter, are con- 

 structed for the suspension of the terrace. They are ele- 

 gant in form, being made gradually narrower towards the 

 middle, and widening at each end, in order, no doubt, to 

 render their hold the stronger. 



" The terrace itself is circular, and composed of an 

 immense number of cells, formed of the paper already de- 

 scribed, and of almost the same size and form as those of 

 a honeycomb, each being a perfect hexagon, mathemati- 

 cally exact/ and every hair's-breadth of the space com- 



