The Mason-bees 



shall set forth what I intended to relate in a 

 more academic manner. 



One thing, above all, had struck the Eng- 

 lish scientist on reading the first volume of 

 my Souve?iirs entomologiqiies, namely, the 

 Mason-bees' faculty of knowing the way back 

 to their nests after being carried to great dis- 

 tances from home. What sort of compass do 

 they employ on their return journeys? What 

 sense guides them? The profound observer 

 thereupon spoke of an experiment which he 

 had always longed to make with pigeons and 

 which he had always neglected making, ab- 

 sorbed as he was by other interests. This ex- 

 periment, he thought, I might attempt with 

 my Bees. Substitute the insect for the bird; 

 and the problem remained the same. I quote 

 from his letter the passage referring to the 

 trial which he wished made: 



"Allow me to make a suggestion In rela- 

 tion to your wonderful account of insects find- 

 ing their way home. I formerly wished to 

 try it with pigeons; namely, to carry the in- 

 sects in their paper cornets about a hundred 

 paces in the opposite direction to that which 

 you intended ultimately to carry them, but 

 74 



