Exchanging the Nests 



her own. This fresh change passes unper- 

 ceived by the Bee : the work is continued In 

 the cell restored to her at the point which it 

 had reached in the substituted cell. I once 

 more replace it by the strange nest; and again 

 the insect persists in continuing its labour. 

 By thus constantly interchanging the strange 

 nest and the proper nest, without altering the 

 actual site, I thoroughly convinced myself of 

 the Bee's inability to discriminate between 

 what is her work and what Is not. Whether 

 the cell belong to her or to another, she 

 labours at it with equal zest, so long as the 

 basis of the edifice, the pebble, continues to 

 occupy its original position. 



The experirrient receives an added interest 

 If we employ two neighbouring nests the work 

 on which Is about equally advanced. I move 

 each to where the other stood. They are not 

 much more than thirty Inches apart. In spite 

 of their being so near to each other that It Is 

 quite possible for the insects to see both homes 

 at once and to choose between them, each Bee, 

 on arriving, settles Immediately on the sub- 

 stituted nest and continues her work there. 

 Change the two nests as often as you please 

 and you shall see the two Mason-bees keep 

 6i 



