Exchanging the Nests 



its spreading clay dome; the other with Its 

 single bare cell, at most the size of an acorn. 

 Well, the two Mason-bees do not hesitate 

 long in front of these exchanged nests, not 

 three feet away from each other. Each makes 

 for the site of her late home. One, the original 

 owner of the old nest, finds nothing but a 

 solitary cell. She rapidly inspects the pebble 

 and, without further formalities, first plunges 

 her head into the strange cell, to disgorge 

 honey, and then her abdomen, to deposit 

 pollen. And this is not an action due to the 

 imperative need of ridding herself as quickly 

 as possible, no matter where, of an irksome 

 load, for the Bee flies off and soon comes back 

 again with a fresh supply of provender, which 

 she stores away carefully. This carrying of 

 provisions to another's larder is repeated as 

 often as I permit it. The other Bee, finding 

 instead of her one cell a roomy structure con- 

 sisting of eight apartments, is at first not a 

 little embarrassed. Which of the eight cells 

 is the right one? In which is the heap of 

 paste on which she had begun ? The Bee there- 

 fore visits the chambers one by one, dives 

 right down to the bottom and ends by finding 

 what she seeks, that is to say, what was in 

 63 



