COMMON WASP. 
397 
he continues, at the same time assisted by his fel- 
low-labourers, till a sufficient quantity is collected 
and cemented together with some of their natural 
glue, so as to form the grand cupola which bends 
over the whole habitation. The cells and columns 
are composed of the same materials, and they some- 
how contrive to make the cement which forms the 
latter of a much firmer texture than the rest, as if 
they were aware that the parts which sustain the 
pile should have the most solidity. Two openings 
are made in the walls of their habitation, one of 
which serves as a passage of entrance into the edi- 
fice ; the other leads out of it : through the first of 
these the wasps enter with their burthens, while 
those which are going to the fields pass out at the 
other, so that by this contrivande they never inter- 
fere with each other. The building is divided into 
several stories, or horizontal floors of combs ; each 
floor supported by its respective columns, composed 
of a vast assemblage of hexagonal cells placed with 
the utmost regularity by the side of each other, and 
made of an ash-coloured substance resembling pa- 
per. It is worthy of observation that these creatures 
make their cells of the best possible figure for the 
purpose that could be chosen. Were they round, 
they would only touch one another in a single point, 
and the void interval would be quite lost; had 
they been triangular or square, they might cer- 
tainly have been very well connected together ; but 
then the angles within would have been lost, be- 
cause the animal which is to inhabit them is round. 
