DAUBER WASPS 



product of certain glands, or by embedding particles of grit 

 in them. 



The Dauber Wasps (Pelopceus) supply us with beautiful 

 examples of these mud houses. 



As they are exceedingly chilly little creatures, they choose 

 the warmest places they can find for the purpose of making 

 nests intended to shelter their offspring. The species of 

 Pelopceus which is common in the south of Europe builds 

 under eaves and cornices, and in sheds and barns ; but the 

 situation she likes best of all is the interior of a peasant's 

 cottage. There no spot seems to come amiss to her, and she 

 makes herself thoroughly at home ; she takes possession of 

 walls or ceiling, windows or curtains, with indifference, greatly 

 to the annoyance and despair of the housewife. Rights of 

 property are unknown to her; she bustles about with a 

 cheerful disregard of everything but her own immediate 

 business, and we have it on the authority of that excellent 

 natualist M. Fabre that whilst some labourers were enjoy- 

 ing their dinner at an inn, dauber wasps came and built 

 nests in their hats and in the folds of their smock-frocks ! 

 Of all places, however, the one in which she is happiest is 

 the inside of a wide old-fashioned farm-house chimney. A 

 strange taste it seems to us, and one wonders how the poor 

 insects, which are constantly flitting to and fro, escape 

 suffocation by the smoke or contrive not to be burnt to 

 death. But Fabre noticed that even when the pots were 

 boiling on the fire the insects did not appear to mind in the 

 least, but went about their work as usual, darting quickly 

 through the thick curtain of steam and smoke. 



The dauber wasps build their nests at various times of 

 the year ; one month seems to suit them as well as another, 

 as long as the weather is warm. When they are ready to 

 commence work they seek in the surrounding country for 



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