A FRUITLESS TASK 



as though the nest had still been there. It was quite clear 

 from the busy but unexcited way in which the insect went 

 about its work that it supposed it was the nest which was 

 being coated over with plaster, and not merely a patch of 

 bare wall from which the nest had been removed. Nor was 

 it ever made conscious of the loss either by the altered 

 colour of the spot or by the absence of the lump of earth ; 

 thirty or forty times it returned to its fruitless toil. 



Fabre afterwards made another curious experiment. A 

 cell had just been completed by the introduction of a spider 

 and an egg, and the Pehp&us had flown off to search for 

 a fresh victim. During its absence Fabre took a pair of 

 forceps and carefully removed both spider and egg. Did 

 the little huntress perceive that she had been robbed of 

 these precious things? Apparently she did not, for on 

 returning with another spider she placed it in the larder 

 just as cheerfully as though nothing vexatious had occurred. 

 One by one a lot more spiders were brought, and one by one 

 Fabre removed them whilst the insect was away, so that it 

 came back each time to an empty storehouse. This went on 

 for two days, the insect toiling hard to fill the insatiable 

 pot while the naturalist stole the contents as soon as its 

 back was turned. When twenty victims had been brought 

 and spirited away in this manner, judging perhaps by the 

 fatigue occasioned by such excessive efforts, the huntress 

 seemed to imagine that her game bag must at last be full, 

 for she carefully closed up the cell which contained nothing 

 whatever. This experiment is very interesting, but it would 

 delay us too long if we were to enter upon a consideration 

 of the conclusions which might be drawn from it, and we 

 must pass on to other insect masons. 



Many Hymenoptera, or insects belonging to the order of 

 ants, bees, and wasps, seem to have found out that nests 



