The Mason-bees 



more threatening; and now the storm burst 

 and was followed by a succession of rainy 

 days which prevented me from continuing. 



The experiment suffices as it stands. Of 

 some twenty Bees who had seemed fit to make 

 the long journey when I released them, fifteen 

 at least had returned: two within the first 

 hour, three in the course of the evening and 

 the rest next morning. They had returned in 

 spite of having the wind against them and — 

 a graver difficulty still — in spite of being un- 

 acquainted with the locality to which I had 

 transported them. There is, in fact, no doubt 

 that they were setting eyes for the first time 

 on those osier-beds of the Aygues which I had 

 selected as the starting-point. Never would 

 they have travelled so far afield of their own 

 accord, for everything that they want for 

 building and victualling under the roof of my 

 shed is within easy reach. The path at the 

 foot of the wall supplies the mortar; the 

 flowery meadows surrounding my house fur- 

 nish nectar and pollen. Economical of their 

 time as they are, they do not go flying two 

 miles and a half in search of what abounds 

 at a few yards from the nest. Besides, I see 

 them daily taking their building-materials 

 54 



