Bramble-bees and Others 



pected to see used for this purpose. It takes 

 an insect to conceive such an original idea, 

 to do mason's work with its behind ! During 

 this curious performance, the only function of 

 the legs is to keep the worker steady, by 

 spreading out and clinging to the walls of the 

 tunnel. 



The partition with the hole in it is fin- 

 ished. Let us go back to the measuring of 

 which the Osmia was so lavish. What a mag- 

 nificent argument in favour of the reasoning- 

 power of animals I To find geometry, the 

 surveyor's art, in an Osmia's tiny brain! An 

 insect that begins by taking the measurements 

 of the room to be constructed, just as any 

 master-builder might do ! Why, it's splendid, 

 it's enough to cover with confusion those hor- 

 rible sceptics who persist in refusing to admit 

 the animal's "continuous little flashes of atoms 

 of reason !" 



O common-sense, veil your face ! It is 

 with this gibberish about continuous flashes 

 of atoms of reason that men pretend to build 

 up science to-day! Very well, my masters; 

 the magnificent argument with which I am 

 supplying you lacks but one little detail, the 

 merest trifle: truth! Not that I have not 



78 



