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they favor you with as prolonged and 

 careful an examination as they give to 

 any tree, or rock, or roof. 



If the w^indows are open they are sure 

 to come into the house ; then they are in 

 a state of consuming curiosity. What 

 does everything mean ? They examine 

 each article of furniture in a comically 

 thorough manner, flying around and be- 

 hind it, and hanging buzzing so close to 

 it that they seem to be testing its quality 

 with their antenna. Sometimes it is but 

 one or two objects that thus occupy them, 

 sometimes one of them will remain an 

 hour in a room satisfying herself con- 

 cerning every object in it, not slighting 

 any quiet and inofl'ensive occupant that 

 may be there. Indeed the human owner 

 of this strange nest seems oftentimes to 

 puzzle her more than all else, and if one 

 but keeps still she proceeds upon a very 

 flattering inspection, — very likely poising 

 directly in front of one's eyes, so close that 



