very Makers; they feize, they crush, they kill, nay, they even devour their Enemies. This is far from being an amiable Behaviour. But, without excufing them, I may venture to fay, that in thefe Particulars, they refemble great Numbers of our own Species, and even our Europeans themselves. The Wafps plunder and devour other Flies. 'Tis the very fame with us: How many men are Wafps in the highest Degree, with refpect to their Fellow Creatures? The Difference is, that Wafps are voracious by a natural Inftinct that impels them; whereas Man is a Malefactor by Choice, and in Oppofition to the Dictates of Reason that enlighten him. We may add, that the Neceffity Wafps are under of conftantly providing for a numerous Family, in fome measure excufes their Avidity. But to proceed: The Diftribution of the Food is made with a great deal of Exactnefs; the Mothers are charged with this Care, and are fometimes affifted by the MuleWafps.

The firft Thing difcoverable, at the Bottom of each Cell, is a little Egg fastened with a viscous Substance, to preserve it from falling. Into this Cell one may fee the Dam frequently enter, who apparently communicates a genial Warmth to the Egg in order to facilitate the Birth. From this Egg proceeds a little Worm, which the Parent carefully nourishes, and which by Degrees increases in Bulk, and thrives very fuccefsfully, filling the whole Apartment with the Roundness of its Form. The Mother, after she has received and divided the Provifion brought to her by the Mules, goes from Chamber to Chamber, diftributing Portions of it with her Mouth to each Worm, in its Turn, and all this with the greatest Equality, except only, that her Supplies are more frequently imparted to the large Worms, who are to produce the Males and Females. Turn up the Hive, Sir, and look into the Entrance of thefe Cells.. What do you discover there?

Chevalier. I fee the large Worms you mention. Here is one who opens its Mouth, and takes my Finger for its Dam.

Prior. He has been neglected ever fince Yesterday, and without doubt has a pretty good Appetite.

up.

Chevalier. But a great many of the Cells are flopped

Prior. The Affair is this: All these Worms, after a certain Period, ceafe to be The Nymph. burdenfome to their Mothers. They leave

off eating, and will receive no more Suftenance. 'Tis then they begin to employ their Mouths in fpinning a very fine Silk, one End of which they glue to the Opening into their Apartment, and then winding their Head from Side to Side, they faften it to different Places; and by virtue of their repeated Motions, form with the Silk, that continually lengthens, a kind of light Stuff, that ferves to clofe up the Paffage. In this Retirement, they divest themselves of their Skin, the Worm dies, her Spoil falls to the Bottom of the Cell, and nothing now remains but a white Nymph, who gradually difengages her Feet and Wings, and infenfibly acquires the Form and Complexion of a perfect Wafp. Break fome of thefe Partitions, and you will fee her, as it were, fwaddled up, and only exhibiting to view, an imperfect Sketch of the delicate Limbs of the fucceeding Animal, who gently fortifies himself in the little Manfion which protects him from Danger, till his Feet are all unfolded, and then he breaks through the Partition that fhuts him up. I am now going to fhew you this: Here, Sir, is a Worm changed into a Nymph.

Chevalier. What an agreeable Figure it makes with its extended Chin bending back, and the Paws join'd together.

Prior. Some Infects continue whole Years in this State of Nymphs, but the Wafp is not confined to it above twelve or fifteen Days at moft; after which, finding himfelf equipped with all his Furniture, he demolishes the Door of his Cell. You may then fee him extend, first one Horn, and then another; to thefe a Paw fucceeds, the Head grows vifible next, and the Aperture widens with the Efforts of the Infect's Body, till at laft he comes out a complete Wafp; whofe firft Employment is to wipe off the Humidity from his little Wings, with his hind Feet, which brush them for fome time; after which he fprings immediately into the Air, and flies to the Fields to pillage with the reft of his Species, whofe Addrefs and Malignity he begins to imitate from that Day.

Chevalier. How! without any Apprenticeship?

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Prior.

Prior. Moft certainly. As for the Mule-Wafp, it falls to plundering the Moment it leaves its Retreat. The Male, when he quits his, paffes away fome Time in sporting, and then goes to make his Court to the Queen of that Quarter. But as foon as ever the Female makes her Appearance, fhe is bufied with the Management of her Family.

Chevalier. I find the Mother has a very agreeable Time of it in this Country; but I can't help pitying the poor Mules, who are charged with the Weight and Fatigue of all the Work.

Prior. It's true, the Mothers are well treated; they have the best of the Provifions, and are ferved with the greatest Affiduity and Refpect. Nothing can equal the Politeness of their Conforts, and indeed of the whole Tribe. But then the Number of these Mothers is very inconfiderable, and they have a prodigious Family to manage. When you confider the Quantity of Eggs they are to lay, the Multitude of Young they muft nourish, the Neceffity they are under of perpetually going from Cell to Cell, and from one Story to another, to vifit and give Satisfa&tion to each Individual; to be eternally repeating the fame Labour, and, what is worfe, to be conftantly confined at home; I fay, when you confider all this, you will agree, that a Mother Wafp is in a very indifferent Situation. As for the Mules, you are fo compaffionate to, their Condition is much more eligible; they wing the Air in queft of Food, they pillage, they eat, and fleep without the leaft anxiety, and are certainly the happiest of all the Clan

Chevalier. Do the Wafps, Sir, make any Provifion for the Winter.

Prior. They don't fo much as take Thought for the Morrow.

Chevalier. How are they able then to pafs that long and uncomfortable Seafon ?

Prior. At the Approach of Winter every thing changes in this Republick: When the first Colds begin to be felt, the Females and their Conforts, who till then were fo tenderly affe&ied towards their Young, deftroy the whole Offspring, Eggs, Worms, Nymphs, complete Wafps, all

Their Severity.

are

are involved in the common Defolation; they caft every thing out of the Hive, and leave the very Cells in Ruins.

Chevalier. What can occafion this Change, and infpire them with fo much Fury?

Prior. 'Tis because they are fenfible they have no more Time allotted them to bring their Embryos to Perfection, and therefore refolve to charge themfelves no longer with an unavailing care. When the Sun fhines, they fometimes take the Air, but Joy and Alacrity ceafes among them; they all languish and difperfe; they fhrink from the Cold, and endeavour to shroud themselves as commodiously as they can. Those who continue in the Hive, pafs the Winter there without either having, or feeking any Suftenance. They are either benumbed, or killed by the Froft, fometimes out of eight or nine thousand Wafps, or a much greater Number, that inhabited the Hive, only two or three Dams furvive.

The Fecundity of Female Wafps,

Chevalier. How can the Species then be preferved? Prior. The Mothers are the most vigorous, and their Bodies the beft adapted to refift the Cold. Could you believe one Female Wasp fhould be fufficient to produce a whole Swarm the enfuing Year? She builds two or three Cells, that form a Kind of little Cluster, glued by the Stalk to the Top of the Cavity, fhe has either dug or found. There the lays and hatches a couple of Mule Eggs, and feeks for Food to fupport the Young. The whole Care lies upon her, as you obferve. The two Worms fatiate themselves with eating, after which they fpin for fome Days, and then close up the Entrance into their Cells. You fee there are two young Wafps already in being. The Parent being now difcharged from the Care of their Maintenance, forms two other Cells, and whilft each of the new Eggs fhe has laid are hatching, and the Young coming afterwards to Maturity, the first Mule Wafps break out of their Confinement, and begin to work with the Mother Infect; and now there are three in Company. Fifteen Days after which the fecond Brood adds to the Number; they increafe, and begin to enjoy all the Advantages of Society. They accommodate

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them

themselves with a large and commodious Apartment. The little Clufter of Cells is daily augmenting; and then the Mother lays firft a Male and then a Female Egg. You would imagine fhe did all this by Injunction, fince the adjufts the Dimenfions of the Lodge to the Size of the Male or Female who is to be born. The Male becomes a Hufband, and the Female a Mother. If there are two Mothers in the Month of June, there will be fifty within three Weeks afterwards, and these fifty will produce above ten thousand Wafps before the Month of October.

This, Sir, is what I had to observe upon the Article of Wafps. It is not material for me to entertain you with any other Species of thefe Infects, fome of which hang their Nefts on the Branches of Trees; and others, who are fometimes twice as large as the common Sort, build their Neft under a Roof, or in a Pile of Timber. The Industry and Prudence of each Species is much the same, and you may form a Judgment of the Works of these last, by what I have related of common Wafps, whofe Conduct I have had better Opportunity of obferving. But that which, above all, I am never weary of admiring, in all these Species, is the Variety and Juftnefs of the Means, by which Providence arrays, feeds, and defends every Clafs.

Chevalier. But you have told me nothing, Sir, of the Sting of a Wafp: Are they not provided with one?

Prior. Not provided with one!Yes, I am but too fenfible of it to my Coft, and have felt it more than once; I affure you I have fmarted pretty handfomely, before I could make the Difcoveries I have imparted to you; but I would willingly be expofed to greater Hazards, provided they would enable me to teach you any useful Knowledge in an agreeable Manner.

Chevalier. It is not reasonable that I should have all the Pleasure and you the Pain.

Prior. Pardon me, Sir, nothing is more confiftent. It is but reasonable that Thorns and Stings fhould fall to the Lot of him who undertakes to teach others, and that Pleasure alone should be the Share of those who are wiiling to learn.

Chevalier. I think myself exceedingly happy in fuch

Hands.