The Life of Jean Henri Fabre 



of mortar by piercing the earthen dome which 

 covers it. Let us cover the nest from which 

 the Bee is about to emerge with a little paper 

 bag. If the bag is placed in contact with the 

 nest so as to make one piece with it, so to 

 speak, the Bee perforates it and liberates 

 herself. If it is not in contact with the nest, 

 she remains imprisoned and will let herself 

 die without perforating the bag. 



"Here, then, are sturdy insects for whom 

 boring tufa is mere child's play, which will 

 stupidly let themselves perish imprisoned by 

 a paper bag," 1 to which it does not even 

 occur to bite a second time through the frail 

 envelope through which they have already 

 bitten once when it was, so to speak, part of 

 the earthen enclosure. 



The Wasp, which is such a marvellous 

 architect, and so skilful a digger, is no better 

 able to employ her talents. During the night 

 we place a bell-glass over a Wasp's nest. In 

 the morning the Wasps issue forth and 

 struggle against the glass wall, but not one 

 of them dreams of digging at the foot of 

 the treacherous circle. But one Wasp, of 

 several which have strayed from the com- 

 munity, coming from outside, opens up a way 



1 Souvenirs, i., pp. 297-298. The Mason-Bees, chap, ii., 

 " Experiments." 



340 



