400 
COMMON WASP. 
communicates a genial warmth to the egg in order 
to facilitate the birth. In about eight days after 
they are laid, the worms are hatched, and imme- 
diately require the attention of the mothers, who 
are very careful to nourish them, and proceed from 
nest to nest, distributing the provisions with the 
utmost equality, and feeding them as birds feed 
their young, by giving each of them a portion from 
her mouth. This business is conducted with great 
celerity; and it is really astonishing to see with what 
quickness the female runs along the cells of the 
combs, to give each worm its portion of nourish- 
ment. The worm by degrees increases in bulk and 
thrives very successfully, filling the whole apart- 
ment with the roundness of its form. In process of 
time the worm grows so large as to be incommoded 
for want of room, and then it is ready to pass into 
another state of existence, or rather of temporary 
death. Previous to this change it ceases to eat, and 
begins to spin a very fine silk, one end of which is 
glued to the opening into the apartment ; and this 
being repeatedly crossed, at length forms a kind of 
light stuff, which perfectly closes the mouth of the 
passage. In this retirement they continue for nine 
or ten days, during which time they divest them- 
selves of their skin, the spoil falls to the bottom of 
the cell, and nothing now remains but a white 
nymph, which gradually disengages her feet and 
wings, and acquires the form and appearance of a 
perfect wasp. Impatient of restraint, the enclosed 
animal with its teeth destroys the beautiful cover- 
