The Leucospes 



The Leucospis' egg Is not even laid on the 

 Mason-bee's larva ; It Is hung by its bent pedi- 

 cle to the fibrous wall of the cocoon. When 

 I go to work very delicately, so as not to dis- 

 turb the arrangement In knocking the nest off 

 Its support, and then take out and open the 

 cocoon, I see the egg swinging from the silken 

 vault. But It takes very little to make It fall. 

 And so, most often, even though It be merely 

 the effect of the shock sustained when the 

 nest is removed from its pebble, I find the egg 

 detached from its suspension-point and lying 

 beside the larva, to which it never adheres in 

 any circumstances. The Leucospis' probe 

 does not penetrate beyond the cocoon tra- 

 versed; and the egg remains fastened to the 

 ceiling. In the crook of some silky thread, by 

 means of Its hooked pedicle. 



309 



