THE WASP. 
S° 4 
they are rapacious and carnivorous, and, Vke the latter, 
they conftrudt hives, and fooneti aes feed on the produce 
of flowers ; they devour fruit, butcher m at, and carry 
on continual hoftilities againft almoft every other fpecies 
of fly : they are at once the rivals a d the enemies of the 
common bee; many of which annually perifh by their at- 
tacks. 
Almoft every perfon mull have feen the eftabhfhment 
made under ground by the common wal'p. It is a kiud 
of fabterraneous city, which at certain feafons of the year 
contains many thoufands of inhabitants, and is conftruc!- 
ed nearly with the fame ingenuity and elegance as that of 
the domedic bee. Like it, it is internally formed with 
combs, confilling of a number of hexagonal cells, all en- 
veloped under one common covering, like coarfe paper, 
which is conftru&ed with great art. In this particular 
they excel the common bee, which contents itfelf with 
the cover afforded by the hive, or with the trunk of a 
rotten tree, in their wild date. 
Though the wafps generally make choice of fome large 
hole under ground for the conflruction of their nell, they 
have neverthelefs much labour to undergo in removing 
protuberances, and carrying away earth, till it is brought 
to that fpherical figure which lints their purpofes. This 
work completed, they next conlirud thet p^per like co- 
vering with which the whole hive is lined. The combs 
in which the cells are lodged next claim their attention : 
Thefe are ranged horizontally in different dories, fome- 
times twelve or fifteen above each other, all fupported by 
colonades, between which the whole citizens of this tub- 
terraneous commonwealth are feen at times to walk, like 
men in the itieets oi a town, ihe cells of the walps are 
o not 
