FABRE'S BOOK OF INSECTS 



heat of summers, and if possible possessing a big fire- 

 place in which a fire of sticks always burns. The cheer- 

 ful blaze on winter evenings has a great influence upon 

 her choice, for she knows by the blackness of the chimney 

 that the spot is a likely one. A chimney that is not 

 well glazed by smoke gives her no confidence: people 

 must shiver wth cold in that house. 



During the dog-days in July and August the visitor 

 suddenly appears, seeking a place for her nest. She is 

 not in the least disturbed by the bustle and movement 

 of the household: they take no notice of her nor she 

 of them. She examines now with her sharp eyes, now 

 with her sensitive antennae the corners of the blackened 

 ceiling, the rafters, the chimney-piece, the sides of the 

 fireplace especially, and even the inside of the flue. 

 Having finished her inspection and duly approved of 

 the site she flies away, soon to return with the pellet of 

 mud which will form the first layer of the building. 



The spot she chooses varies greatly, and often it is a 

 very curious one. The temperature of a furnace appears 

 to suit the young Pelopaeus : at least the favourite site 

 is the chimney, on either side of the flue, up to a height 

 of twenty inches or so. This snug shelter has its draw- 

 backs. The smoke gets to the nests, and gives them a 

 glaze of brown or black like that which covers the stone- 

 work. They might easily be taken for inequalities in the 



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