THE MASONS 219 



She was seen putting the insect in her 

 nest and sealing it up there, but that she 

 laid an tgg on it was not known. 



It was consequently believed that she 

 transformed the insect into her own pro- 

 geny, and as she plastered up the opening, 

 hummed a song over it saying, ''Class 

 with me, class with me." Gradually the 

 transformation took place, until a perfect 

 wasp emerged the following season. 



The mud-daubers are easily tamed if 

 taken in time. Once a nest was kept in a 

 room so warm that the first wasp began 

 to gnaw out while the outer world was 

 still under a blanket of snow. When its 

 head began to appear, young Pelopaeus 

 was helped out with a pin. Its antennae 

 were stroked and touched with the finger, 

 and it was given a drop of honey on the 

 tip of the same finger. 



Finally Pelopaeus crawled out on the 

 warm hand of her human friend. The 

 warmth was grateful to her and she stayed 



