s02 - NATURAL HISTORY. 
their rifing progeny. For this purpofe the female waits with great pati- 
ence till the working wafps have brought in their provifions, which fhe _ 
takes from them, and cuts into pieces. She then goes with great com- 
pofure frora cell to cell, and feeds every young one with her mouth. 
‘When the young worms have come to a-certain fize they leave off eat 
ing, and begin to {pin a very fine filk, fixing the firft end to the entrance 
of the cell, then turning their heads, firft on one fide, then on the 0- 
ther, they fix the thread, to different parts, and thus they make a fort 
of a door which ferves to clofeup the mouth of the cell. After this 
they diveft themfelves of their tkins after the ufual mode of transfor- 
mation, the aurelia by degrees begins to emancipate itfelf from its 
fhell; by little and little it thrufts out its legs and wings, and infenfi- 
bly acquires the colour and fhape of its parent. 
The wafp thus formed, and prepared for depredation, becomes 4 
bold, troublefome, and. dangerous infect : there are no dangers which | 
it will not encounter in purfuit of its prey, and nothing feems to fatiate 
its gluttony. Though it can gather no honey of its own, no animal 18 
more fond of fweets. For this purpofe it will purfue the bee and the 
humble bee, deftroy them with its fling, and then plunder them of their 
honey-bag, with which it flies triumphantly loaded to its neft to regale its 
young. Wafps are ever fond of making their nefts in the neighbourhood 
of bees, merely to have an opportunity of robbing their hives, and 
feafting on the fpoil. Yet the bees are not found always patiently fub- 
miflive to their tyranny, but fierce battles, are fometimes feen to enfuey 
in which the bees make up by conduét and numbers what they want i# 
perfonal prowefs. When there is no honey to be had, they feek for thé 
bef and {weeteft fruits, and they are never miftaken in their choice 
From the garden they fly to the city, to the grocers fhops, and butch- 
ers fhambles. They will fometimes carry off bits of flefh half as big as 
themfelves, with which they fly to their nefts for the nourifhment © 
their brood. Thofe who cannot drive them away, lay for them a piecé 
of ox’s liver, which being without fibres, they prefer to other flefhs 
‘and whenever they are found, all other flies are feen to defert thé 
place immediately. Such is the dread with which thefe little animals 
imprefs all the reft of the infe@ tribes, which they feize and devouF 
without mercy, that they vanifh at their approach. Wherever they flys 
like the eagle or the falcon, they form a defert in the air around them 
In this manner the fummer is paffed in plundering the neighbourhoods 
and rearing up their young; every day adds to their numbers; a® 
from their ftrength, agility, and indifcriminate appetite for every kin 
of provifion, were they as long lived as the bee, they would foo 
{warm upon the face of Nature, and become the moft noxious plag¥® 
of man: but providentially their lives are meafured to their mifchie! 
and they live but a fingle feafon. 
While the fummer heats continue, they are bold, voracious, and 
enterprifing ; but as the fun withdraws, it feems to rob them of thelF 
- courage and activity. In proportion as the cold increafes, they are fee® 
to become more domelftic; they feldom leave the neft, they make but 
fhort adventures from home, they flutter about in the noon-day heat® 
-and foon after return chilled and feeble. f 
As their calamities increafe, new paflions foon begin to take place’ 
the care for pofterity no longer continues, and as the parents 
: on 
