More Enquiries into Mason-bees 



who was on my right. To-day, the Bees do 

 not circle round me: some fly away at once; 

 the others, the greater number, feeling giddy 

 perhaps after the pitching of the journey and 

 the rolling of the sling, alight on the ground 

 a few yards away, seem to wait until they are 

 somewhat recovered and then fly off to the 

 left. I perceived this to be the general flight, 

 whenever I was able to observe at all. I was 

 back at a quarter to ten. Two Bees with pink 

 marks were there before me, of whom one 

 was engaged in building, with her pellet of 

 mortar In her mandibles. By one o'clock in 

 the afternoon there were seven arrivals; I 

 saw no more during the rest of the day. 

 Total: seven, out of twenty. 



Let us be satisfied with this: the experi- 

 ment has been repeated often enough, but It 

 does not conclude as Darwin hoped, as I my- 

 self hoped, especially after what I have been 

 told about the Cat. In vain, adopting the 

 advice given, do I carry my insects, first 

 In the opposite direction to the place at 

 which I intend to release them; In vain, 

 when about to retrace my steps, do I 

 whirl my sling with every complication 

 In the way of whirls and twists that 



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