■ of feveral pieces- cut from one leaf, of forms and proportions
proper to coincide with the place each is intended to occupy.
The outer cafe, or coyer, is formed with equal care and exaft-
nefs. In a word, fays M. Bonnet, there , is fo much exadnefs,
fyinmetry, uniformity, and {kill, in this little mafter-piece, that
we Ihould not believe it to be the work o f a fly, i f we did not
know at what fchool fbe learnt the art -of conflructing it. In
each cell the mother depofits an almoft liquid fubftance, and yet
fo nicely are the cells formed, as not to fuffer any of this fubftance
to be loft. But to fee the detail o f the works o f this bee, and the
curious mechaniftn o f it’s cells, we muft refer the reader to Mr.
de Reaumur’s admirable hiftory of infefts.
O f the mafon ichneumon wafp * (fphex, Linn.). The proceedings
of this are totally different from thofe o f the common
wafp, though equally curious with them. It generally begins
it s work in May, and continues at it for the greateft part o f
June. The true objeft o f her labour feems to be the digging o f
a hole a few inches deep in the ground ; yet in the confiruflingof
this Ihe forms a hollow tube above ground, the bafe o f which is
the opening o f the hole, and which it raifes as high above ground
as the hole is deep below; it is formed with a great deal o f care,
refemblmg a grofs kind o f filagree work, confiding o f the fand
drawn from the hole. The fand out o f which flic excavates her
cell is nearly as hard as a common done; this it readily foftens
with a penetrating liquor, with which fee is well provided ; a
drop or two of. it is imbibed immediately by the fand on which it
M s , which is inftantly rendered fo foft, that Ihe can feparate and
knead
* ®eaumur -Menu.pour I’Hfttoire des In/efles, toil). xi. par. 2, P-9-
knead it with her teeth and fore feet, forming it into a fmall ball
which fee places on the edge o f the hole as the foundation-ftone
o f the pillar fee is going to ereft: the whole of it is formed o f
fuch balls, ranged circularly, and then placed one above the
other. She leaves her work at intervals, probably, in order to
renew her ftock of that liquor which is fo neceflary for her operations
; thefe intervals are of feort duration; fee foon returns to
her work, and labours with fo much aftivity and ardour
that m a few hours fee will dig a hole two or three inches deep,"
and raife a hollow pillar two inches high. After the column
has been raifed a certain heighth perpendicularly from the
hole, it begins to curve a little, which curvature increafes till
it is finifeed, though the cylindrical form is maintained : fee con-
ftrufts feveral o f thefe holes all o f the fame form, and for the
fame purpofe.
It is eafy to fee why the hole was dug in the ground ; that it
was deftined to,receive an egg; but it is not fo eafy to perceive
whv the tube of fand was formed. By attending to the labours o f
the wafp, one end, however, may be difcovered; it will be found
to ferve the purpofe o f a fcaffold, and that the balls are as ufeful '
to the wafp, as materials, &c. to the mafon; and are, therefore
placed as much within her reach as poflible. She ufes them to
flop and fill up the hole after fee has depofited an egg therein,
fo that the pillar is then -deftroyed, and not the leaft remains left
tn the neft. The parent wafp generally leaves ten or twelve
worms as provifion neeeffary and proper for the growth o f the
young larva: no purveyor could take better precautions than
our wafp, for fee has received her inftruSions from H im who,
provides for the neceffities of all his creatures. In (electing the
% worms,.