The Glow- Worm and Other Beetles 



the mattock, which arouse a far from reassur- 

 ing crescendo in the humming of the Antho- 

 phorae, soon place me in possession of a 

 lump of earth; and I beat a hasty retreat, 

 greatly astonished to find myself still safe 

 and sound and unpursued. But the lump of 

 earth which I have removed is from a part 

 too near the surface; it contains nothing but 

 Osmia-cells, which do not interest me for the 

 moment. A second expedition is made, last- 

 ing longer than the first; and, though my 

 retreat is effected without great precipitation, 

 not an Anthophora has touched me with her 

 sting, nor even shown herself disposed to 

 fall upon the aggressor. 



This success emboldens me. I remain 

 permanently in front of the work in progress, 

 continually removing lumps of earth filled 

 with cells, spilling the liquid honey on the 

 ground, eviscerating larvae and crushing the 

 Bees busily occupied in their nests. All 

 this devastation results merely in arousing 

 a louder hum in the swarm and is not fol- 

 lowed by any hostile demonstration. The 

 Anthophorae whose cells are not hurt go 

 about their labours as if nothing unusual 

 were happening round about them; those 

 whose dwellings are overturned try to repair 

 them, or hover distractedly in front of the 

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