Whatever may be the shape of the nest, the Wasp never leaves the cells without a covering. Knowing this instinct, induced Wasps to build nests in any form which he Mr. Stone by arranging pieces of the comb and waiting till liked, simply the Wasps had covered them. For this purpose he prepared a boxes, and actually induced a single swarm of Wasps series of six complete nests, and to begin a seventh. These to build nests were of all kinds of shapes. One, for example, was like

hour-glass, another like a claret-jug without its handle, an a stalactite cavern, and so forth. Indeed, when I another like last saw him, he said that he meant in the following spring to the Wasps build a nest shaped like St. Paul’s cathedral, make the least doubt that he would have sueand I have not chiefly on other insects, though they are very

Wasps feed and sugar, and have a fashion of picking out fond of ripe fruit the choicest fruit in a way that is anything the ripest part of Flies they eat in great abundbut agreeable to the gardener. Hall, I have seen the Wasps flying by ance, and, at Walton and carrying off the flies as they hundreds into the pig-sties, basking in tlie upon the pigs that were luxuriously swarmed are not without their usefulness, and, unless sun Thus they eertainly do more good than thei swarm to a great extent, of Wasp ^.ich are very much harm. There are two species ^^asp (Vespa mlffat w), and alike. These are the Common

the Grerman Wasp {Vespa germanicd). The latter, however, may be known by three black spots iipon the edge of the first segment of the abdomen. In the construction of the nest, the former insect uses decaying, and the latter sound wood. Consequently, the nests of the former insect are of a paler and greyer hue than those of the latter. I have seen a nest which was made by a double swarm of Wasps, one half of each species. The nest was a singularly beautiful one, the grey and warm brown being curiously variegated, according to the portions made by the different species. The nest was preserved by Mr. Stone, and given by him to Mr. F. Smith.

It has already been mentioned that some of the Wasps build their nests in the open air. One of these insects, together with its nest, is drawn on Plate XI. Fig. 3. This is called the Tree- Wasp {Vespa ai'borea), because its nests are suspended from the branches of trees and bushes, the Wasp sometimes choosing quite a low bush, and sometimes building in a lofty tree-branch. In this mseet, the ‘ scape,’ i.e. the long joint of the antennse, is yellow in front, in both sexes, and there are three black spots on the clypeus. The nest is very delicately and beaiitifully made, and, in spite of the apparently fragile nature of its structure, is perfectly able to resist the weather. The nest is suspended by an elongated footstalk, running for nearly an inch parallel with the twig to which the nest is suspended.

Another species, the Norway Wasp {Vespa Norvegica\ also builds in trees, and the nest is very similar to that of the former insect. A specimen in my collection show's v^ry. plainly the successive coverings that have been made by the motherinsect. There are only five cells, and the outer covering has been drawn about half way over that which actually protects the cells. On holding it up to the light and looking at it, the streaks made by the Wasp, while spreading the papery paste, are as plain as those of a painter’s brush on the canvas, and the outer covering is so thin that the light can be plainly seen shining through it. Compensation, however, is found for this delicacy by the fact that the several coverings, each standing a little from the other, protect the cells far better than would be the case if there were but one covering, and that a very thick and strong one. A A

Noay we come to the largest and most formidable of the llritish Wasps, the terrible Hounet {Vespa crahro), a figure of which is given on Woodcut XXXV. Fig. 1. This figure represents a perfect female of the natural size. The workers are much less, and, indeed, many worker Hornets are no bigger than the common Wasp, from which, however, they can at once be distinguislied by the dark red-brown of their markings.

The nest of the Hornet is exactly similar in character to that of the common Wasp, but the cells are very much larger. The nest is usually made in hollow trees ; and within a few Imndred yards of my house are several Hornets’ nests — a fact which I take care not to mention, lest any anxious parent should destroy them, fearing that they might injure his children, a fate that befell one of tliese nests last year. There is really not the least occasion for fear. The Hornet has a great deal too much to do to spend its time in stinging children, and, unless its nest be attacked, it is peaceable enough. Mr. Stone kept many Hornets’ nests at work, and was no more stung by them than a bee-master is stung by his bees. Outhouses and similar places are favourite localities for Hornets’ nests.

The successful capture of -a Hornets’ nest is a very diflBcult business, and that of a Wasps’ is child’s play to it. In the first it is much more difficult to cut a nest out of a liollow place, tree than to dig it out of the barth ; and in the next place, the Hornet works all night, provided the moon shines, whereas the Wasp stays at home. food of the Hornet consists of other insects, and it has a

The for Wasps. My brother once saw a Hornet in special liking of some Atalanta butterflies, and the instinct exhibited by chase really wonderful. In the open air the shoitthe insect was Hornet would have no chance of catching winged, heavy-bodied butterfly. So the Hornet kept flying backthe ample-winged wards and forwards in front of tlie butterfly, until the Atalanta through the branches of an elm thought to escape by flying Hornet’s manoeuvres, for it at tree. This was the object of the foliage, where the wide wings of the butonce dashed among the captured the unfortunate Ataterfly were at a disadvantage, its head and wings, and flew away wuth the body. lanta, bit off

Hymenoptera is that which is called An-

The next tribe'of

thopliila, or Flower-lovers, aud sometimes Mellifera, or Honeyhearers. It comprises the insects wliich are familiarly known as Bees. As is the case with the Wasps, the Bees are both Social and Solitary, and in the former case the workers, or imperfect females, form the majority of the community. The antennae of the male Bees have thirteen joints, and those of the females only twelve ; and the same proportion exists in the rings or segments of the abdomen, the male having seven, and the female only six. The larva is always fed on pollen or honey, or both, this food being stored in cells constructed for the purpose.

All these insects possess a very remarkable modification of the parts of the mouth which are formed with the organ known as the tongue, trunk, or proboscis. The end of the tongue is furnished with a slender brush, formed by tiny hairs which edge the rings of which the organ is composed. Magnified illustrations of the tongues of two kinds of Bee may be seen on Woodcut XXXVII. Figs, a and h. A very fidl and detailed description of this organ is given by Mr. Westwood in his admirable ‘Introduction,’ vol. ii. pp. 256-260. I strongly recommend any of my readers who wish to make themselves adepts in practical entomology, to procure a few specimens of the largest Bees and examine this beautiful apparatus with the aid of a lens. The common Humble-bees will answer the purpose very well. This apparatus is used, as we all know, for extracting from fiowers the sweet juices which will become honey after being taken into the system of the insect. The juices in question are not sucked, as they are by the proboscis of a moth or butterfly, but are swept out of the flower by means the brush. of

The first family, called Andrenidse, comprises the Solitary Bees, and is divided into two groups, namely, the Obtusilingues, or blunt-tongued Bees, and the Acutilingues, or sharptongued Bees ; the tongues of the former group resembling those of the wasps, while those of the second group are long, lance-shaped, and pointed. Examples of the sharp-tongues ■will presently be given.

On Woodcut XXXV. Fig. 3, is drawn a Solitary Bee called Ualictua ruhicundus. In this genus the head is rather triangu ai, and the ocelli are set in a curve A A 2 upon the crown. The

wings have one marginal and three subinarginal cells, the first of which is nearly as long as the other two together. The antennoe of the males are much longer than those of the females. The colour of the present species is black, a very fine duncoloured brown being upon the face, and a fringe of shining yellow hairs edging the labrum. The middle of the thorax is covered with tawny red down, becoming paler on the sides and towards the base of the thorax. The abdomen is smooth and shining, with a little tawny down at the base. The females have narrow white bands on all the segments, and the males have a similar band on the first four segments only. The shape of the male abdomen is shown at Fig. e. The head of the male, with its long antennae, is drawn at Fig. d.

This is a burrowing insect, making a tunnel several inches in depth, and only just large enough to allow of the passage of the Bee. The end of the burrow is slightly enlarged, so as to form a sort of chamber, and in this chamber the Bee places one egg and a quantity of pollen. I have found that the pollen is kneaded together so as to form a hard, paste-like ball, which, by careful digging, can be removed from the burrow without being broken. Nor is this all. From the main shaft, if we call it, several short burrows are made, not more than an may so inch or so in length, and in each of them an egg and a supply of pollen are placed.

Mr. F. Smith has paid great attention to these insects, and that the female Halicti appear early in April and has observed are hard at work until the end of June, when they gradually August the male Bees begin to show themdisappear. About selves, soon followed by a quantity of females, who immediately to form fresh tunnels. The time occupied in passing begin is very short, for in ten or twelve days through the changes larva is hatched it is ready to pass into the pupal after the that, like the Social M asps and state. It is evident, therefore, hybernate after meeting their mates, Bees, the Halicti females as early as possible in the so as to begin their nest-making following year. than twenty species of this genus, among

There are more Hcdictus vvinutissimus, is which one, called appropriately smallest British Bee yet knot™. The

remarkable for being the one-eighth of an inch in length.

male is barely

Next comes the typical genus of the family, two examples of

which are given on Plate XI. The genus Andrena lias the

head as wide as the thorax, and, in the male, occasionally wider. The antenme are elbowed ; the wings have one marginal and three submarginal cells, and the hinder tibias are furnished with stiff bristles by means of which the insect can carry to its home the pollen which it obtains from flowers. One of these Bees may be seen on Plate XI. Fig. 4. It is called A TicZi’en-a nitida, from the polished and shining abdomen. The colour is black, the thorax being clothed with yellowish down. The nervures of the wings are rust-red, and there is a darkish clouding at their tips. On each side of the second and third segments of the abdomen is a patch of white down, and the tip of the abdomen has a flne dun-coloured fringe.

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