COMMON WASP, 
399 
is no danger they will not encounter to procure 
them. The honey hoarded up by the industrious 
bees is too great a temptation for them to withstand, 
and the plunderers frequently suffer for their teme- 
rity in attacking a hive. When these favourite 
sweets are not to be procured, they range to a di- 
stance in search of prey, visit the kitchen and the 
larder, and sometimes carry off bits of flesh half as 
large as themselves to their nest, where the provision 
is equally distributed among the young ones. These 
insects are to other flies, what the eagle and the 
hawk are to the rest of the feathered tribe. Where- 
ever they fly the air is deserted around them, and 
every little insect retires in a fright. The butchers 
avail themselves of this general panic, and very 
generously present the wasps with a bit of liver 
when they visit the shambles : by this means 
they prevent the filthy blow-fly from approaching 
their shop ; for whilst these creatures are regaling 
themselves with the liver, there is no reason to fear 
that any fly or other insect will come near the 
place. Part of this food is carried home and freely 
distributed amongst the other wasps, and they are 
even said to retain a portion of the juice of fruits, 
which after their arrival at the nest they will dis- 
charge from their mouths for the benefit of their 
companions. 
At the bottom of each cell may be discovered a 
little white transparent egg, which is fastened with 
a viscous substance to preserve it from injury. Into 
this cell the dam frequently enters, and apparently 
