The Mason-bees 



her endless quests, in her visits, which are 

 generally fruitless ! Before coming upon a 

 nest that suits her, she has dived a hundred 

 times into cavities of no value, into galleries 

 not yet victualled. And then, however kindly 

 her host, the parasite is not always well re- 

 ceived in the hostelry. No, it is not all roses 

 in her trade. The expenditure of time and 

 labour which she finds necessary in order to 

 house an egg may easily equal or even exceed 

 that of the worker In building her cell and 

 filling it with honey. That Industrious one 

 has regular and continuous work, an excel- 

 lent condition for success in her egg-laying; 

 the other has a thankless and precarious task, 

 at the mercy of a thousand accidents which 

 endanger the great undertaking of Installing 

 the eggs. One has only to watch the pro- 

 longed hesitation of a Coelioxys seeking for 

 the Leaf-cutters' cells to recognize that the 

 usurpation of another's nest is not effected 

 without serious difficulties. If she turned 

 parasite in order to make the rearing of her 

 offspring easier and more prosperous, cert- 

 ainly she was very ill-inspired. Instead of 

 rest, hard work; Instead of a flourishing 

 family, a meagre progeny. 



222 



