The Mason-Wasps 



at a spot where custom decrees that there is 

 just room for one household only? What 

 reasons have turned the recluse into a congre- 

 gation? I asked the owner of the spinney 

 about the matter. 



" It's like that every year," he said. 

 " The clump is overrun by Nightingales. " 



"And the reason? " 



11 The reason is that there is a stand of 

 hives close by, behind that wall." 



I looked at the man in amazement, un- 

 able to understand what connection there 

 could be between a stand of hives and the 

 thronging Nightingales. 



II Why, yes," he added, " there are a lot 

 of Nightingales because there are a lot of 

 Bees." 



Another questioning look from my side. 

 I did not yet understand. The explanation 

 came: 



" The Bees," he said, " throw out their 

 dead grubs. The front of the stand is 

 strewn with them in the mornings; and the 

 Nightingales come and collect them for 

 themselves and their families. They are 

 very fond of them." 



This time I had solved the puzzle. De- 

 licious food, abundant and fresh each day, 

 had brought the songsters together. Con- 

 290 



