More Enquiries into Mason-bees 



have long known their peaceful character. 

 Time was when I used to share the common 

 fears, when I hesitated before venturing into 

 a swarm of Anthophorae or Chalicodomae; 

 nowadays, I have quite got over those terrors. 

 If you do not tease the insect, the thought of 

 hurting you will never occur to it. At the 

 worst, a single specimen, prompted by curi' 

 osity rather than anger, will come and hover 

 in front of your face, examining you with 

 some persistency, but employing a buzz as her 

 only threat. Let her be : her scrutiny is quite 

 friendly. 



After a few demonstrations, my household 

 were reassured: all, old and young, moved in 

 and out of the arch as though there were no- 

 thing unusual about it. My Bees, far from re- 

 maining an object of dread, became an object 

 of diversion ; every one took pleasure in watch- 

 ing the progress of their ingenious work. I 

 was careful not to divulge the secret to 

 strangers. If any one, coming on business, 

 passed outside the arch while I was stand- 

 ing before the hanging nests, some such brief 

 dialogue as the following would take place: 



"So they know you ; that's why they don't 

 sting you?" 



83 



