206 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



There is a superstition that if a humble-bee buzzes in 

 at the window of the sitting-room it is a sure sign of 

 a coming visitor. 



Be careful how you pick up a ripe apple, all glowing 

 orange, from the grass in the orchard ; roll it over 

 with your foot first, or you may chance to find that 

 you have got a handful of wasps. They eat away the 

 interior of the fruit, leaving little but the rind ; and 

 this very hollowness causes the rind to assume richer 

 tints and a more tempting appearance. Specked 

 apples on the tree, whether pecked by a blackbird, 

 eaten by wasps or ants, always ripen fastest, and if 

 you do not mind cutting out that portion, are the 

 best. Such a fallen apple, when hollowed out within, 

 is a veritable torpedo if incautiously handled. 



Wasps are incurable drunkards. If they find 

 something sweet and tempting they stick to it, and 

 swill till they fall senseless to the ground. They are 

 then most dangerous, because unseen and unheard ; 

 and one may put one's hand on them in ignorance of 

 their whereabouts. Noticing once that a particular 

 pear tree appeared to attract wasps, though there was 

 little or no fruit on it, I watched their motions, and 

 found they settled at the mouth of certain circular 

 apertures that had been made in the trunk. There 

 the sap was slowly exuding, and to this sap the wasps 

 came, and sipped it till they could sip no more. The 

 tree being old and of small value, it was determined 

 to see what caused these circular holes. They were 

 cut out with a gouge, when the whole interior of the 



