The Mason-Wasps 



portion of the hole as much of the sand 

 removed from it as is necessary to stop it 

 up. It is to have this mortar within reach 

 that she has built that shaft. Once the egg 

 is laid and the store of victuals placed 

 within its reach, we see the mother come and 

 gnaw the end of the shaft, after first moist- 

 ening it, carry the pellet inside and next re- 

 turnfor more, in the same manner, until the 

 hole is blocked right up to the opening." 



Reaumur goes on to speak of the victuals 

 heaped up in the cells, the " green grubs," 

 as he calls them, heedless of the ugly al- 

 literation. Not having seen the same 

 things, because my Odynerus is of a differ- 

 ent species, I will continue my story. I 

 counted the head of game in three cells only: 

 the colony was a small one; I had to deal 

 tenderly with it if I would follow its history 

 to the end. In one of the cells, before the 

 provisions were broached, I counted twenty- 

 four pieces; in each of the two others, which 

 were likewise intact, I counted twenty-two. 

 Reaumur found only eight to twelve pieces 

 in the larder of his Odynerus; and Dufour, 



1 Reaumur's actual words are "vers 'verts;" and Fabre 

 rightly complains of " the hideous assonance." — Trans- 

 lator's Note. ■ 



42 



