THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
85 
has been observed upon other occasions 
as well as the one recorded above ; or 
perchance a winged ant caught in the 
act of migration, is met at the entrance 
to the nest by one, two, and sometimes 
three other attendants. These at once 
lend their aid in cutting up the * prey,’ 
which they not only reduce to the con- 
sistency of pulp by mastication, but to 
all appearance actually swallow. Having 
done this they separate, and taking dif- 
ferent courses, commence feeding the 
larvm which lie iu their route. As they 
pass over a cell, the larva therein con- 
tained, if hungry, protrudes its head and 
applies its mouth to that of the attend- 
ant, who stops for a few seconds for the 
purpose of allowing it to sip its fill. 
This done, the latter moves on to another 
cell, where the process is repeated. If 
on the approach of the attendant a larva 
does not require food, instead of pro- 
truding its head it remains quiet, when 
the former passes on to another cell 
where its services may be required. In 
this way an attendant will feed perhaps 
twenty larva before the contents of its 
stomach, or whatever else may have 
served as a receptacle for the food it has 
been dispensing, is exhausted, when it 
again proceeds iu quest of food, either 
leaving the nest to obtain it, or else 
taking part, in the manner already de- 
scribed, with one which has just returned 
from foraging. This division of labour 
in cutting up and reducing to a proper 
consistence all solid food is invariably 
practised; and not only so, but if one 
returns laden with sweets, as dissolved 
sugar, tk c., it will be sure to be met by 
others eager to share in the supply for 
the purpose of helping to dispense it. 
A trio therefore will often be observed ; 
two sipping from the mouth of a third 
till an equal division has been effected. 
“ I could not but observe that as each 
wasp left the nest on its first excursion in 
search of food or building material, it in- 
variably passed several times backwards 
and forwards in front of the window, re- 
turning to the aperture again and again 
before trusting itself to a distant flight. 
These preliminary steps, or rather flights, 
seemed evidently taken with the view of 
making itself acquainted with the prin- 
cipal features presented by the new 
locality, in order that it might be 
enabled to recognise the place again, 
and thus escape the danger of becoming 
bewildered and lost on returning from 
its wanderings. The knowledge there- 
fore which guides these insects in their 
return to a particular spot, would seem 
not to be a mere instinctive knowledge, 
but one resulting from observation. 
“ A fact illustrative of their habits, 
and one which shows them to be rigid 
economists, wasting nothing, but making 
the most of everything, may here be 
mentioned. Having injured several of 
the larvae in passing the supports through 
the crown of the nest, they were, as soon 
as discovered, [dragged out of the cells 
containing them, and at once cut up and 
made to serve as food for the rest. This 
practice I afterwards found was con- 
stantly adhered to, not only in the case 
of injured larvae, but also of such as 
chanced to fall sick. 
“ They are not only economists in the 
article of food, but in materials also ; for 
as inner portions of the shell or covering 
of the nest are removed in order to make 
room for the combs, as they increase in 
size, the material is not thrown by as 
useless, but is worked up afresh; indeed 
this is effected in, and by the very act of, 
removing it. It is then applied to the 
purpose of enlarging the combs, or else 
used in making additions to the outside. 
The basis of the material employed is 
wood, one species using sound wood, 
another that which has become decayed. 
This they scrape by means of their jaws 
from off posts, rails, &c., in which act 
it becomes mixed with some peculiar 
fluid with which Nature has provided 
them : it then possesses nearly the same 
