Bramble-bees and Others 



that, being by herself in May, she cannot 

 stand permanently at her door: the business 

 of the house takes precedence of everything 

 else. But she ought, at any rate as soon as 

 her offspring are victimized, to know the para- 

 site and give chase when, at every moment, 

 she finds her almost under her feet and even 

 in her house. Yet she pays no attention to 

 her. 



The bitter experience of her ancestors, 

 therefore, has bequeathed nothing to her of a 

 nature to alter her placid character; nor have 

 her own tribulations anything to do with the 

 sudden awakening of her vigilance in July. 

 Like ourselves, animals have their joys and 

 their sorrows. They eagerly make the most 

 of the former; they fret but little about the 

 latter, which, when all is said, is the best way 

 of achieving a purely animal enjoyment of 

 life. To mitigate these troubles and protect 

 the progeny there is the inspiration of instinct, 

 which is able without the counsels of experi- 

 ence to give the Halicti a portress. 



When the victualling is finished, when the 

 Halicti no longer sally forth on harvesting in- 

 tent nor return all bcfloured with their spoils, 

 the old Bee is still at her post, vigilant as 



414 



i 



