300 INSECT LIFE xxi 



muraria carried away four kilometres, and, set free 

 where she certainly could never have been before, 

 can return home. But why did one out of two, and 

 two out of five, fail to do so ? What one could do, 

 why not another? Are they not equally gifted 

 with the faculty which guides them through the 

 unknown ? Is it not rather inequality in the power 

 of flight ? I recollected that my Hymenoptera did 

 not all fly off with the same energy ; hardly were 

 some out of my fingers, launching themselves im- 

 petuously into the air, than I lost sight of them, 

 while others let themselves drop a few paces off 

 after a short flight. It seems certain that these had 

 suffered during the journey — perhaps from the con- 

 centrated heat in the furnace of my box, or I may 

 have harmed the jointure of the wings while marking 

 them — an operation difficult to perform when one has 

 to avoid being stung. These are maimed, weak 

 creatures — unable to go on with all sail spread, as 

 they ought, for this journey. The experiment must 

 be tried again, only counting those bees which 

 instantly leave my fingers with a swift, strong flight. 

 We shall omit those which hesitate or linger close 

 by on some bush. Moreover, I will do my best to 

 compute the time employed in returning to the nest. 

 Such an experiment requires a considerable 

 number of subjects, as the weak and maimed, who 

 may be many, must be rejected. Chalicodoma muraria 

 cannot furnish the quantity needed ; it is not common 

 enough, and I am anxious not to disturb the small 

 people by the Aigues whom I want for other observa- 

 tions later. Fortunately I have near my house, under 

 the projecting edge of the roof of a shed, a magnificent 



