The Mason-bees 



I hurried out. Things had happened as my 

 six-year-old colleague said. Lucie had se- 

 cured her provision of pebbles In advance 

 and, on seeing the Amazon regiment leave 

 barracks, had followed them step by step and 

 placed her stones at Intervals along the road 

 covered. The Ants had made their raid and 

 were beginning to return along the track of 

 tell-tale pebbles. The distance to the nest was 

 about a hundred paces, which gave me time 

 to make preparations for an experiment pre- 

 viously contemplated. 



I take a big broom and sweep the track for 

 about a yard across. The dusty particles on 

 the surface are thus removed and replaced by 

 others. If they were tainted with any odor- 

 ous effluvia, their absence will throw the Ants 

 off the track. I divide the road, in this way, 

 at four different points, a few feet apart. 



The colum.n arrives at the first section. 

 The hesitation of the Ants is evident. Some 

 recede and then return, only to recede once 

 more; others wander along the edge of the 

 cutting; others disperse sideways and seem 

 to be trying to skirt the unknown country. 

 The head of the column, at first closed up to 

 a width of a foot or so, now scatters to three 

 140 



