The Travellers 227 



where his place is taken by the Crested Lark, 

 that frequenter of the broad highway, the 

 roadmender's friend. But one need not go far 

 north to find the favourite spots for the Sky- 

 lark's broods : the next department, the Drome, 

 is rich in his nests. It is very probable therefore 

 that, out of the numbers of Skylarks that come 

 to take possession of our plains for the whole of 

 autumn and winter, there are many that travel 

 no farther than the Drome. They have only 

 to migrate to the next department to find plains 

 free from snow and a steady supply of tiny 

 seeds. A like migration to a short distance 

 seems to me to have caused the crowd of Ammo- 

 philae which I surprised near the top of Mont 

 Ventoux. I have shown that this Wasp spends 

 the winter in the perfect insect state, hidden in 

 some shelter and waiting until April to make 

 her nest. She also, like the Skylark, must take 

 her precautions against the frosty season. 

 Though she need not fear the lack of food, being 

 capable of fasting until the return of the flowers, 

 she must at least, delicate creature that she is, 

 guard against the fatal attacks of the cold. 

 She will therefore flee snowy country, the 

 districts where the ground freezes to a great 

 depth ; she wUl assemble in a migratory caravan, 

 after the manner of the birds, and, crossing hill 

 and dale, will select a home in old walls and 



