Bramble-bees and Others 



walks in, with no more ceremony than if she 

 were entering her own place. She now 

 chooses among the victualled cells at her ease, 

 for they are all open, as I have said; she lei- 

 surely deposits her eggs. No one will disturb 

 her until the Bee's return. To flour one's 

 legs with pollen, to distend one's crop with 

 syrup is a task that takes long a-doing; and 

 the intruder, therefore, has time and to spare 

 wherein to commit her felony. Moreover, 

 her chronometer is well-regulated and gives 

 the exact measure of the Bee's length of ab- 

 sence. When the Halictus comes back from 

 the fields, the Gnat has decamped. In some 

 favourable spot, not far from the burrow, she 

 awaits the opportunity for a fresh misdeed. 



What would happen if a parasite were sur- 

 prised at her work by the Bee? Nothing seri- 

 ous. I see them, greatly daring, follow the 

 Halictus right into the cave and remain there 

 for some time while the mixture of pollen and 

 honey is being prepared. Unable to make 

 use of the paste so long as the harvester is 

 kneading it, they go back to the open air and 

 wait on the threshold for the Bee to come 

 out. They return to the sunlight, calmly, 

 with unhurried steps : a clear proof that no- 



380 



