88 
STRANGE DWELLINGS . 
hatched, and have produced very tiny grubs, which are always 
hungry and require much attention. They grow rapidly, and, 
in proportion to their growth, the parent Wasp adds to the 
walls of their cells, so that the young grubs are suspended, with 
their heads downwards, as, indeed, is the custom with very 
many hymenopterous larvae. The Wasp proceeds in her task, 
having all the cares of the nest upon her — the enlargement of 
the chamber, the building of the nest, the transport of materials, 
the deposition of the eggs, and the feeding of the ever-hungry 
grubs. 
In due time, however, the oldest grubs cease to feed, spin 
a silken cover over their cells, and release their parent from 
further attendance upon them. In the cells they undergo the 
change to the perfect state, and, after they have passed a short 
season in retirement, they tear away the silken cover with their 
jaws, and come forth as perfect Wasps. As soon as they have 
gained strength to use their limbs, they take the heavy labours 
upon them, and the work goes merrily on, the mother Wasp 
having little to do but to deposit eggs in the cells as fast as 
they are made. 
Before very long, the first cell-terrace is completely full, and 
more accommodation is needed. This is supplied in a very 
curious manner. Taking the junction point of these cells as 
the foundation, the Wasps construct several pendent pillars, 
exactly like the one which has already been described, and, by 
dint of adding cells to each, they all unite, and form a second 
terrace, below the first, the distance between them being just 
^sufficiently large to permit the Wasps to cross each other. In ' 
this, as in the former terrace, all the mouths of the cell are 
downwards and their bases upwards, so that the bases of the 
second terrace form a floor on which the Wasps can walk while 
feeding the young contained in the first. A third, fourth, and 
fifth terrace are added in this manner, all alike, the cells being 
so small that the mother Wasp cannot even put her head into 
them 
It will be seen, therefore, that, as insects never grow after 
