94 



PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



The workers are the most numerous, and to us the only 

 troublesome part of the community ; upon whom devolves 

 the main business of the nest. In the summer and autumnal 

 months, they go forth by myriads into the neighbouring 

 country to collect provisions ; and on their return to the 

 common den, after reserving a sufficiency for the nutriment 

 of the young brood, they divide the spoil with great im- 

 partiality ; — part being given to the females, part to the 

 males, and part to those workers that have been engaged in 

 extending and fortifying the vespiary. This division is 

 voluntarily made, without the slightest symptom of com- 

 pulsion. Several wasps assemble round each of the returning 

 workers, and receive their respective portions. It is curious 

 and interesting to observe their motions upon this occasion. 

 As soon as a wasp, that has been filling itself with the juice 

 of fruits, arrives at the nest, it perches upon the top, and 

 disgorging a drop of its saccharine fluid, is attended some- 

 times by two at once, who share the treasure : this being thus 

 distributed, a second and sometimes a third drop is produced, 

 which falls to the lot of others. 



Wasps do not in general store up honey, but it is found in 

 the cells of some European species of Polistes, as well as in 

 those of America ; and M. A. de St. Hilaire was nearly 

 poisoned by eating that collected by P. lecheguana, which 

 inhabits Paraguay and Monte Video. 1 Another wasp before 

 referred to under " habitations of insects," as forming a nest 

 somewhat similar to that of Chatergus nidulans, also stores up 

 honey, as we learn from the interesting paper of Mr. Adam 

 "White, who has named it Myrapetra scutellarisp- 



Another principal employment of the workers is the 

 enlarging and repairing of the nest. It is extremely amusing 

 to see them engaged upon this foliaceous covering. They 

 work with great celerity ; and though a large number are 

 occupied at the same time, there is not the least confusion. 

 Each individual has its portion of work assigned to it, ex- 

 tending from an inch to an inch and a half, and is furnished 

 with a ball of ligneous fibre, scraped or rather plucked by its 



l Lacordaire, Introd. a VEntom. ii. 511. 



2 Annals of Nat. Hist. vii. 31G> 



