NEW ARRANGEMENT OF BRITISH BEES. 
155 
Hymenoptera, these abortive females, called neuters, per¬ 
form the labours of the community, and they are always 
winged; whereas amongst the ants they are never 
winged, and they constitute civil and military depart¬ 
ments, the former attending to domestic matters, and 
the latter making predatory excursions to enslave the 
inhabitants of other communities, to aid their civilians 
in their many duties. 
The third and last division of the aculeate Ilyme- 
noptera contains the Mdlicolligerce, the bees, or honey- 
gatherers. 
Tims each division of the aculeated Hymenoptera is 
closely linked to the others by the strong affinity of the 
social habits of some of the genera of their several 
families. 
The food of these three divisions of the aculeated 
Hymenoptera differs considerably, the Fossores being 
raptorial flesh-feeders, which hunt down and destroy 
their prey, and supply it as food to their young; the 
Heterogynce are omnivorous,—grain, fruits, or carrion 
being equally welcome to them; but in these climates 
I am not aware that they destroy life, although their 
wide migrations within the tropics are undertaken in 
the very spirit of the Huns and Vandals, for they de¬ 
vastate everything they come across; but the whole 
family of bees are exclusively honey-feeders without any 
carnivorous propensities, and use their stings merely as 
weapons of defence. 
Although all the social aculeates are edifiers, and 
although the wasp in its papier mache domicile may vie 
with the honey-bee in capacity and skill in the structure 
of the hexagons of the habitation it erects or suspends, 
which are as perfect, and almost as delicate, although 
