The Mason-bees 



in breaking it with the point of my knife. 

 What patient effort, then, the task requires 

 from the parasite, with her tiny pincers! 



I do not know exactly how long the Stelis 

 takes to make her entrance-shaft, as I have 

 never had the opportunity or rather the pa- 

 tience to follow the work from start to finish; 

 but what I do know is that a Chalicodoma 

 of the Walls, incomparably larger and 

 stronger than the parasite, when demolishing 

 before my eyes the lid of a cell sealed only 

 the day before, was unable to complete her 

 undertaking in one afternoon. I had to come 

 to her assistance in order to discover, before 

 the end of the day, the object of her house- 

 breaking. When the Mason-bee's mortar 

 has once set, its resistance is that of stone. 

 Now the Stelis has not only to pierce the lid 

 of the honey-store; she must also pierce the 

 general casing of the nest. What a time it 

 must take her to get through such a task, a 

 gigantic one for her poor tools ! 



It is done at last, after infinite labour. The 

 honey appears. The Stelis slips through and, 

 on the surface of the provisions, side by side 

 with the Chalicodoma's egg, which is re- 

 spected, she lays her own eggs, the number 

 224 



