Insect architecture / [Anon].

  • James Rennie
Date:
1830
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Insect architecture / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    protection, she suspends horizontally,.and not: like the combs in a bee-hive, in a perpendicular position. The suspension of which we speak is also light and elegant, compared with the more heavy union of the hive-bees’ combs. It is in fact a hanging floor, immoveably secured by rods of similar materials with the roof, but rather stronger.. From twelve to thirty of these rods, about an inch or less in length, and a quarter of an inch.in diameter, are constructed A, represents one of the rods from which‘the terraces are sus- pended B, & portion of the external crust. for the suspension of the terrace. They are elegant in form, being made gradually narrower towards the middle, and widening at each end, in order, no doubt, - to render their hold the stronger. ; The terrace itself is circular, and composed of immense number of cells, formed of the paper al- ready described, and of almost the same size and form as those of a honey-comb, each being a perfect hexagon, mathematically: exact, and every hair’s breadth of the space completely filled. These cells, however, are never used as honey-pots by wasps, as they are by bees; for wasps make no honey, and the cells are wholly appropriated to the rearing of their young. Like other hymenopterous insects, the grubs are placed with their heads downwards; and the openings of the cells: are also downwards: while
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