The Mason-bees 



to the site which they selected and labour in 

 turn now at their own cell and now at the 

 other's. 



One might think that the cause of this con- 

 fusion lies in a close resemblance between the 

 two nests, for at the start, little expecting the 

 results which I was to obtain, I used to choose 

 the nests which I interchanged as much alike 

 as possible, for fear of disheartening the 

 Bees. I need not have taken this precaution : 

 I was giving the insect credit for a perspicacity 

 ■which it does not possess. Indeed, I now take 

 two nests which are extremely unlike each 

 other, the only point of resemblance being 

 that, in each case, the toiler finds a cell in 

 which she can continue the work which she 

 is actually doing. The first is an old nest 

 whose dome is perforated with eight holes, 

 the apertures of the cells of the previous gen- 

 eration. One of these cells has been restored 

 and the Bee is busy storing it. The second is 

 a nest of recent construction, which has not 

 received its mortar dome and consists of a 

 single cell with its stucco covering. Here, 

 too, the insect is busy hoarding pollen-paste. 

 No two nests could present greater differ- 

 ences : one with its eight empty chambers and 

 62 



