The Life of the Fly 



the village, they are to tell me the result of 

 their day's work. On receiving their favour- 

 able report, I will go with them, next day, to 

 continue the observations. They shall be paid 

 for their trouble, of course. These latter-day 

 Corydons have not the manners of antiquity: 

 they reck little of the seven-holed flute ce- 

 mented with wax, or of the beechen bowl, pre- 

 ferring the coppers that will take them to 

 the village-inn on Sunday. A reward in 

 ready money is promised for each nest that 

 fulfils the desired conditions; and the bargain 

 is enthusiastically accepted. 



There are three of them; and I make a 

 fourth. Shall wc manage it, among us all? 

 I thought so. By the end of August, how- 

 ever, my last illusions were dispelled. Not 

 one of us had succeeded in seeing the big 

 black Fly perching on the dome of the Mason- 

 bee. 



Our failure, it seems to me, can be explained 

 thus: outside the spacious front of the Antho- 

 phora's settlement, the Anthrax is in perma- 

 nent residence. She visits, on the wing, every 

 nook and corner, without moving away from 

 the native cliff, because it would be useless to 

 go farther. There is board and lodging here, 

 indefinitely, for all her family. When some 

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