136 LETTERS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 
found strewed like the dens of wild beasts with 
legs, wings, heads, and other remains of their 
unfortunate victims ; but the maggot does not 
let them lie useless, as he uses them to make his 
cone more substantial. 
Many kinds of wasps are wood piercers. 
Reaumur had a piece of old wood in which, 
on splitting, he found many cavities filled with 
pretty flies and an oblong yellowish egg. Having 
split it still further, he found many others of dif- 
ferent kinds, but each cell had but one kind of fly 
in it, though some had little caterpillars. Per- 
haps many pieces of old wood, which wef push 
aside in walking, contain these curious and in- 
genious fabrications. 
There is a beautiful wasp in St. Domingo, 
which is of a brilliant golden green or blue, 
with legs of a fine violet colour. They fly with 
great agility, and are very fearless ; they are 
likewise very difficult to take, as their sting is 
much more formidable than any common wasp 
or bee, and much longer. They wage continual 
war with the cock-roaches, which are very de- 
structive in that country. When the wasp per- 
ceives one she stops a moment, but soon darts 
upon her helpless prey, and seizing its head 
with her teeth, attempts to sting it in the softest 
