The Mason-Wasps 



is the regular visitor that must be respected. 

 Sight helps, for things take place in the day- 

 light, under my cage; but the Wasps have 

 other means of information in the dimness 

 of the burrow. When I produce darkness 

 by covering the apparatus with a screen, the 

 murder of the trespassers is accomplished 

 just the same. For so say the police-regula- 

 tions of the Wasps'-nest: any stranger dis- 

 covered must be slain and thrown on the 

 midden. 



To thwart this vigilance, the real enemies 

 need to be masters of the art of stealthy im- 

 mobility and cunning dissimulation. But 

 there is no dissimulation about the Volucella- 

 grub. It comes and goes, openly, whereso- 

 ever it will; it looks round amongst the 

 Wasps for cells to suit it. What has it 

 to make itself thus respected? Strength? 

 Certainly not. It is a harmless creature, 

 which the Wasp could rip open with a blow of 

 her shears, while a touch of the sting would 

 mean lightning death. It is a familiar guest, 

 to whom no denizen of a Wasp'-nest bears 

 ill-will. Why? Because it renders good 

 service: so far from working mischief, it does 

 the scavenging. Were it an enemy or merely 

 an intruder, it would be exterminated; as a 

 deserving assistant it is respected. 

 310 



