230 THE WONDERS OF INSTINCT 



home, thus do they fix their birthplace in their memory. 

 The village of our childhood is always a cherished spot, 

 never to be effaced from our recollection. The Osmias 

 life endures for a month; and she acquires a lasting re- 

 membrance of her hamlet in a couple of days. 'T was 

 there that she was born ; 't was there that she loved ; 't is 

 there that she will return. Dulces reminiscitur Argos. 1 



At last each has made her choice. The work of con- 

 struction begins; and my expectations are fulfilled far 

 beyond my wishes. The Osmiae build nests in all the re- 

 treats which I have placed at their disposal. And now, 

 O my Osmiae, I leave you a free field ! 



The work begins with a thorough spring-cleaning of 

 the home. Remnants of cocoons, dirt consisting of spoilt 

 honey, bits of plaster from broken partitions, remains of 

 dried Mollusc at the bottom of a shell : these and much 

 other insanitary refuse must first of all disappear. Vio- 

 lently the Osmia tugs at the offending object and tears it 

 out; and then off she goes in a desperate hurry, to dis- 

 pose of it far away from the study. They are all alike, 

 these ardent sweepers: in their excessive zeal, they fear 

 lest they should block up the place with a speck of dust 

 w r hich they might drop in front of the new house. The 

 glass tubes, which I myself have rinsed under the tap, are 

 not exempt from a scrupulous cleaning. The Osmia 

 dusts them, brushes them thoroughly with her tarsi and 

 then sweeps them out backwards. What does she pick 

 up? Not a thing. It makes no difference: as a consci- 



1 Now falling by another's wound, his eyes 

 He casts to heaven, on Argos thinks and dies. 



— Mneid, Book x, Dryden's translation. 



