76 INSECT ARTIZANS AND THEIR WORK 



were gone, it stubbornly refused to take soft, 

 tender little spiders, or caterpillars out of our 

 garden ; and it perished, a victim to prejudice." 



The Wall Mason (Odynerus parietum) appears to 

 be fond of proximity at least to human beings, for 

 its nests are commonly constructed on the walls 

 of houses, sometimes in the angles of the window- 

 frames, but often on the seams of mortar between 

 the bricks. She uses sand and mud, and mixes 

 them with her own mouth-cement, which causes 

 them to set like mortar. Sometimes she uses the 

 " pointing " of the human mason or bricklayer, if 

 this is not so rich in cement as to defy her jaws. 

 Whatever the material, she turns it into cylindrical 

 cells, which are usually joined end to end, so that 

 we get a continuous round-backed ridge on the 

 wall. Each of these cells she stocks with green 

 caterpillars in turn. Where she is engaged on her 

 building operations, the Ruby-tail may usually 

 be seen as an interested spectator, watching for 

 her opportunity to bring the Mason's labours to 

 naught. 



A little-known species Geramius lusitanicus 

 found in the Mediterranean region, makes its nests 

 in the earth and connects them by a gallery two 

 and a half inches long. It renders this gallery diffi- 

 cult of access to enemies by erecting a chimney-like 

 porch after the manner of Odynerus. This pre- 

 caution is very necessary in this case, because the 

 cells are not provisioned and sealed up, but the 

 larva is fed more like those of the Social Wasps 



