WHITE-FACED HORNETS 



stinging me. I timed his visits one sunny, 

 still day and found that he arrived once 

 in forty seconds. But this was only under 

 most favorable weather conditions. A 

 cloud over the sun delayed him and in 

 wet weather he was never to be seen. 



His method with the fly in hand was 

 direct and effective. The first buzz was 

 followed by the snip-snip of his shear- 

 like maxillaries. You could hear the 

 sound and immediately see the gauzy 

 wings flutter slowly to the tent floor. If 

 the fly kicked much his legs went in the 

 same way. Then white-face took a firmer 

 grip on his prize and was off with him to 

 the nest. The bee line is spoken of as a 

 model of mathematical directness, but the 

 laden bee seeking the hive makes no 

 straighter course than did my hornet to 

 his nest in the berry bush down in the 

 pasture. 



33 



