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XXVI. Two "Letters of Air, John Harrifon of 
Cambridge in New England, to Mr, 
Peter Coll in fon, F. R, S, concerning a 
fmall Species tf/'Wafps. 
SIR, Cambridge, 29 July, 1748. 
Read May 9. jk BOUT the 28 of May laft, I difco- 
cover’d hanging to the roof on the 
infide of my green -houfe (which is of wood) fome- 
thing about the fize of a child’s farthing ball, in 
fhape like a Provence role full-grown, before it opens, 
that is, a round bottom, ending in a blunt point; at 
which point is a round hole, large enough for infedts 
(fomething lefs than a wafp) to go in and out at. I 
foon perceiv’d, that it was the work of infedts, a fmall 
l'pecies of wafps. They have fix legs, black next to 
their body, then yellow, ending in cinnamon-colour. 
Some have 6 and 7 rings, of a bright yellow colour, 
round the tail part of their body, with fmall hollows 
or indents on the upper parts. The divificns between 
the rings are of a bright jet colour ; the face is yellow ; 
on the head are two horns. 
Thefe little infects are very induftrious in making 
their neft. The top of it is fattened or glewed to 
the cieling, and is formed of many round coverings, 
one within another, yet not touching each other, by 
the 8 part of an inch. Probably this fpace is left to 
make their cells, in which they lay their eggs. Thefe 
coverings have been repeated until there are now thir- 
teen finithed, ranging equally one over another. 
It 
