286 INSECT LIFE xx 



there, and woe to any sister or neighbour who thence- 

 forward disputes possession of it. A hot reception 

 and fierce pursuit would soon put the new-comer to 

 flight ; only one cell is wanted at the moment out of all 

 which gape like little wells around the dome, but the 

 bee calculates that by and by the rest will be useful, 

 and she keeps a jealous watch on them all and 

 drives away every visitor. I cannot remember having 

 seen two Mason Bees working on the same pebble. 



The work is now very simple. The bee examines 

 the inside of the old cell to see where repairs are 

 needed, tears down the rags of cocoon hanging on 

 the walls, carries out the bits of earth fallen from the 

 vault pierced by the inhabitant in order to get out, 

 mortars any places out of repair, mends the orifice 

 a little, and that is all. Then comes storage, laying 

 an egg, and stopping up the cell. When these are 

 successively completed, the general cover, the mortar 

 dome, is repaired if necessary, and all is finished. 



Chalicodoma sicula prefers a sociable life to a 

 solitary one, and hundreds — nay, several thousands — 

 will establish themselves on the under surface of the 

 tiles on a hovel, or the edge of a roof. It is not a 

 real society with common interests, dear to all, but 

 merely a gathering where each works for herself and 

 is not concerned for the rest — a throng recalling the 

 swarm of a hive only by their number and industry. 

 They use the same mortar as Chalicodoma muraria, 

 equally resistent and waterproof, but finer and with- 

 out pebbles. First the old nests are utilised. Every 

 free cell is repaired, stored, and shut up. But the 

 old ones are far from sufficing to the population, 

 which increases rapidly year by year, and on the 



