Bramble-Dwellers 



the outlet having gone out before her. But 

 is this really how things happen? Our theo- 

 ries very often do not agree with the insect's 

 practice; even where our reasoning seems most 

 logical, we should be more prudent to see what 

 happens before venturing on any positive 

 statements. Leon Dufour was not so prudent 

 when he, the first in the field, took this little 

 problem in hand. He describes to us the 

 habits of an Odynerus {Odynerus rubicolus, 

 DuF.) who piles up clay cells in the shaft of 

 a dry bramble-stalk; and, full of enthusiasm 

 for his industrious protegee, he goes on to 

 say: 



"Picture a string of eight cement shells, 

 placed end to end and closely wedged inside a 

 wooden sheath. The lowest was undeniably 

 made first and consequently contains the first- 

 laid egg, which, according to rules, should 

 give birth to the first winged insect. How do 

 you imagine that the larva in that first shell 

 was bidden to waive its right of primogeniture 

 and only to complete its metamorphosis after 

 all its juniors? What are the conditions 

 brought into play to produce a result appar- 

 ently so contrary to the laws of nature ? Hum- 



12 



