The Mason-bees 



at night, things are worse still, in the narrow 

 sleeping-room where the Mason-bees take 

 refuge by the hundred. After a night spent 

 in the crevice between two stones, it is not ad- 

 visable to trust to the mark made yesterday. 

 Therefore, the counting of the number of 

 Bees that return to the nest must be taken 

 in hand at once; to-morrow would be too late. 

 And so, as it would be impossible for me to 

 recognize those of my subjects whose dots 

 had disappeared during the night, I will take 

 into account only those Bees who return on 

 the same day. 



The question of the rotary machine re- 

 mains. Darwin advised me to use a circular 

 box with an axle and a handle. I have no- 

 thing of the kind in the house. It will be 

 simpler and quite as effective to employ the 

 method of the countryman who tries to lose 

 his Cat by swinging him in a bag. My in- 

 sects, each one placed by itself in a paper 

 cornet^ or screw, shall be placed in a tin box; 

 the screws of paper shall be wedged in so as 



*A cornet is simply the old "sugar-bag," the funnel- 

 shaped paper bag so common on the continent and still 

 used occasionally by small grocers and tobacconists in 

 England. — Translator's Note. 



