322 CONCLUSION. 



supplying herself with a load of honey, and made 

 during the day, as shown in the Appendix (p. 423), no 

 less than 116 visits to the honey, or 232 journeys 

 between my room and her nest, during which she 

 carried off rather more than sixty-four grains of honey. 



It would, however, perhaps be unfair to the bees to 

 regard this as indicating that they are less industrious 

 than wasps. The deficiency may be due to their being 

 more susceptible to cold. 



I may add that I then left home for a few days. I 

 covered over the honey, leaving only a small entrance 

 for the wasp. When I returned on the 12th, I found 

 her still at work, and by herself. It was evident that 

 she had continued her labours, but without bringing 

 any friends to assist her. 



Every one has heard of a * bee-line.' It would be 

 no less correct to talk of a wasp-line. On August 6 

 I marked a wasp, the nest of which was round the 

 corner of the house, so that her direct way home 

 was not out of the window by which she entered, 

 but in the opposite direction, across the room to a 

 window which was closed. I watched her for some 

 hours, during which time she constantly went to the 

 closed window, and lost much time in buzzing about at 

 it. August 7, I was not able to watch her. August 8 

 and 9, I watched her from 6.25 A.M., when she made 

 her first visit. She still constantly went to the closed 

 window. August 10 and 11, I was away from home. 

 August 12, she made her first visit at 7.40, and still 



