THE WASP. 
329 
substance, to which they begin to fix the rudiments of their 
building, working from the top downwards, as if they were 
hanging a bell, which, however, at length, they close up at 
the bottom. The materials with which they build their nests, 
are bits of wood and glue. The wood they get where they 
can, from the rails and posts which they meet with in the fields 
and elsewhere. These they saw and divide into a multitude 
of small fibres, of which they take up little bundles in their 
claws, letting fall upon them a few drops of gluey matter with 
which their bodies are provided, by the help of which they 
knead the whole composition into a paste, which serves them 
in their future building. When they have returned with this 
to the nest, they stick their load of paste or. that part where 
they make their W'alls and partitions ; they tread it close with 
their feet, and trowel it with their trunks, still going back- 
wards as they work. Having repeated this operation three or 
four times, the composition is at length flatted out until it 
becomes a small leaf of a grey colour, much liner than paper, 
and of a pretty firm texture. This done, the same wasp re- 
turns to the field to collect a second load of paste, repeating 
the same several ti toes, placing layer upon layer, and strength- 
ening every partition in proportion to the wants or conveni- 
ence of the general fabric. Other working wasps come 
quickly after to repeat the same operation, laying more leaves 
upon the former, till at length, after much toil, they have 
finished the large roof which is to secure them from the tum- 
bling in of the earth. This dome being finished, they make 
another entrance to their habitation, designed either for letting 
in the warmth of the sun, or for escaping, in case one door be 
invaded by plunderers. Certain, however, it is, that by one of 
these they always enter, by the other they sally forth to their 
toil ; each hole being so small that they can pass but one at a 
time. The walls being thus composed, and the whole some- 
what of the shape of a pear, they labour at their cells, which 
they compose of the same paper-like substance that goes to 
the formation of the outside works. Their combs differ from 
those of bees, not less in the composition than the position 
which they are always seen to obtain. The honey-comb of 
the bee is edgeways with respect to the hive; that of the wasp 
is flat, and the mouth of every cell opens downwards. Thus 
is their habitation, contrived story above story, supported by 
several rows of pillars which givetirmnessto the whole build- 
ing, while the upper story is flat-roofed, and as smooth as the 
pavement of a room, laid with squares of marble. The wasps 
can freely walk upon these stories between the pillars to do - 
whatever their wants require. The pillars are very hard and 
Vol. II. 2t 
