The Mason-bees 



occupying her at this moment to begin the 

 work of construction which is not yet due. 

 She will rather go in search of a strange cell, 

 in the desired condition, and slip in there to 

 deposit her honey, at the risk of meeting with 

 a warm reception from the irate owner. She 

 goes off, in fact, to try her luck. I wish her 

 success, being myself the cause of this desper- 

 ate act. My curiosity has turned an honest 

 worker into a robber. 



Things may take a still more serious turn, 

 so invincible, so imperious is the desire to have 

 the booty stored in a safe place without delay. 

 The uncompleted cell which the Bee refuses 

 to accept instead of her own finished ware- 

 house, half-filled with honey, is often, as I 

 said, accompanied by other cells, not long 

 closed, each containing its Bee-bread and its 

 egg. In this case, I have sometimes, though 

 not always, witnessed the following: when 

 once the Bee realizes the shortcomings of the 

 unfinished nest, she begins to gnaw the clay 

 lid closing one of the adjoining cells. She 

 softens a part of the mortar cover with saliva 

 and patiently, atom by atom, digs through the 

 hard wall. It is very slow work. A good 

 half-hour elapses before the tiny cavity is large 

 68 



