The Mason-bees 



outside limit. Who could say, when the per- 

 forators are numerous, to what lengths this 

 accumulation can go? I will set forth on 

 some future occasion how the ration of one 

 egg remains In reality the ration of one egg, 

 despite the multiplicity of banqueters. 



I will end by describing the egg, which is 

 a white, opaque object, shaped like a much- 

 elongated oval. One of the ends is length- 

 ened out into a neck or pedicle, which is as 

 long as the egg proper. This neck is some- 

 what wrinkled, sinuous and as a rule consi- 

 derably curved. The whole thing is not at all 

 unlike certain gourds with an elongated 

 paunch and a snake-like neck. The total 

 length, pedicle and all, is about 3 millimetres.^ 

 It is needless to say, after recognizing the 

 grub's manner of feeding, that this egg is not 

 laid inside the fostering larva. Yet, before 

 I knew the habits of the Leucospis, I would 

 readily have believed that every Hymenop- 

 teron armed with a long probe inserts her 

 eggs into the victim's sides, as the Ichneu- 

 mon-flies do to the Caterpillars. I mention 

 this for the benefit of any who may be under 

 the same erroneous impression. 



^About .117 inch. — Translator's Note. 

 308 



