appear as dots separated from the black band instead of cusps, the grounds of distinction are almost lost. And when besides, the face markings are not decisive, in such a case, away from one's books, and specimens, and microscope, it is absolutely impossible to say to which species a male or worker of either of these rightly belongs. The best entomologist would be puzzled to sort a handful of these wasps under such circumstances.

V. rufa, Plate IV, presents several varieties of marking. The queen, who is much larger in proportion to her subjects than the queens of the other species, has the figure of an anchor very distinctly traced on the clypeus, the shank being placed vertically, with the arms turning up on either side. There is only a thin yellow line along the margin of the eyes, the corona standing in a dark space. This presents a deep central notch on its upper edge, dividing it into two arcs. The sides are straight, the lower edge concave.

The thorax presents seldom more than one pair of yellow spots on its posterior surface. In the first ring of the abdomen the black band does not extend beyond the square truncated end. In the centre of the dorsal aspect of this ring is a dark oval spot, elongated transversely, darker where it first rises into view from the black band, and shaded off at its edges. A reddish shade spreads out on either side to join it to the lateral spots, which look like the two halves of the central spot repeated at the extreme ends of the dorsal scale of the segment. Sometimes, instead of these three spots, the connect

ing shade is deepened into a continuous transverse stripe of black, the square edge of the ring displaying two short bright yellow streaks instead of the usual interspaces between the spots. In the second ring the black band sweeps down in a curve to a central cusp on which a button is placed as in V. arborea. The two small lateral spots are connected with this central button by fine reddish lines, and the edges of the button have a rufous or orange shade. This rufous shade descends towards the tail, enclosing the lateral spots, then rises to meet a cusp projecting from the black band near the extreme end of the dorsal scale. A smaller cusp like this is found in the same place in V. arborea, where we have already noticed a similar disposition of the light and dark shades; but in the other species it is scarcely to be recognized. In the succeeding rings the button is merged in the cusp, which appears in a dome shape, still giving off the reddish lines to the lateral spots. In darker specimens of this species, as of the hornet, all these delicate markings are lost, the rufous shades are replaced by broad dark lines. It is curious that De Saussure,* in his beautiful figures of the Vespa, should have selected a dark specimen of V. rufa as a typical illustration; while Curtis,† in his no less beautiful series of illustrations, has selected a specimen with as bright tints as are ever to be seen. Both are equally correct as illustrations; and are apposite warnings at the same time of the difficulties which we may expect to meet with, in spite of the best written descriptions, even with, the aid of figures, in determining species.

*Guêpes Sociales.' Planche XIV.

+ British Hymenoptera,' reprint, 1862, Plate 760.

In the worker the abdominal marks are less distinct than in the queen, and smaller in proportion to the size of the insect. The central button on the second ring is narrowed down to a simple streak with a red shading round its point. The markings of the male, as in V. arborea, nearly resemble those of the perfect female.

I

It would be scarcely worth while to lengthen this work in, to me at least, its most tedious part by going over this ground again, and reproducing the distinctive character of the several species in the form of a tabular analysis. Useful as such an arrangement is when the species are numerous, it is scarcely required when there are no more than six. And it would probably need nearly as much pains to master such an arrangement as to construct one for oneself. would, therefore, only observe that the distinction of spots or figured markings on the clypeus, and of the different forms of the markings on the first abdominal ring may readily be tabulated so as to show the several species. But the same pains spent on the comparison of one or two specimens with each other, or with accurate drawings, would be a much more useful exercise than the construction of an analytical table; and would help more towards a solution of real difficulties when they do arise.

Regarding the subject now from a somewhat different point of view. Except in the different styles of architecture displayed in the construction of their nests, which will be more conveniently examined in another place, there is very little in the habits of the smaller species of wasps to distinguish them from one

E

another. One seems, indeed, to find certain peculiar traits of character in the different species, when one has had the opportunity of watching them closely for some time; but perhaps these distinctions may be imaginary. V. sylvestris is the most powerful, and is said to have the sharpest sting. I do not know how this may be, but V. vulgaris knows best how to use it; and I would far rather attack a nest of the bold open enemy than of the persevering little wretch which works her way between all the joints in ones armour. V. rufa is said to be particularly gentle, to hold the place among wasps which the humble bee has among bees. But of the habits of this wasp I have no personal knowledge.

Only the hornet has a history of its own. A mysterious dread has connected itself with the name of this insect which, doubtless, its mention in the Biblet as the scourge by which the nations were gradually driven out before the Israelites, tends to maintain. As we do not now, in Europe, under its present circumstances, recognize in the hornet such a powerful instrument of destruction as this would represent, the exactness of the translation has been questioned, and Bruce's African zimb or tsetset has been suggested as a better rendering.§ We must remember, however,

* Edgeworth on Irish Vespidæ. 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History,' 3rd Series, Vol. XIII, p. 472.

+ Exodus xxiii, 28. Deuteronomy vii, 20. Joshua xxiv, 12. Wisdom of Solomon xii, 8, has the word Wasps. Livingstone's Travels in South Africa.'

p. 56.

Small 8vo, 1861.

§ See notes of 'Pictorial Bible,' on Joshua xxiv, 12, favouring the claims of the zimb. Smith's 'Dictionary of the Bible,' Article Hornet, receives this word in a metaphorical sense, as equivalent to a

that the translators of the Septuagint and Vulgate had, at least, as good means of information on this point as we have now. In particular, Jerome, the author of the Vulgate translation, lived for many years in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, and would, doubtless, have used another word instead of Crabro, hornet, had he not thought that the hornet was intended in the original text.

It is true that we cannot assert that there was any great precision in the use of terms of natural history in the Greek language, which included under the one name of σтρoveòs, a sparrow and an ostrich. And ooŋkia was probably a general term for all, wasps and hornets alike, in Greek, as Crabro certainly was in classical Latin. Perhaps, in accordance with this usage, the original word in the Bible might have been meant to include all stinging insects that fly; just as, apparently, all stinging insects that crawl on the ground are called scorpions.* Still, in the Bible, a distinction is observed between various insects. For when the remote Egyptian fly is mentioned, the terms in which the plague is spoken of clearly distinguish it from the hornet, as well as from another stinging insect which comes from a nearer quarter, namely, the Assyrian bee.† And really there seems to

fear or a terror, citing the word astrus as a parallel instance. The converse instance of bug might also have been cited, Psalm xci, 5, as pointed out in that admirable little book 'Gosse's School Zoology,' p. 158, note. The article Hornet in the Bible Cyclopædia,' 2 vols, folio, London, 1841, asserts the literal correctness of the text, and supports this view by well chosen illustrations.

* Deuteronomy viii, 15. Revelation ix, 3-10.

+ Isaiah vii, 18. The fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and the bee that is in the land of Assyria.