The Bembex 257 



ground in front of her door ; she removes Httle 

 bits of wood, any extra-large particles of gravel, 

 any leaves that might get in the way and bar 

 her passage at the dangerous moment of her 

 return. The Bembex whom we have just seen 

 so zealously employed was busy at this work of 

 sifting : to facilitate the access to her home, the 

 materials of the corridor have to be dug up, 

 carefully sorted and rid of anything likely to 

 obstruct the road. Who indeed can tell whether, 

 by that nimble eagerness, that joyous activity, 

 the insect is not expressing in its own way its 

 maternal satisfaction, its happiness in watching 

 over the roof of the cell to which the precious 

 ^gg has been entrusted ? 



As the Wasp is confining herself to her 

 duties outside the house, without trying to 

 penetrate into the sand, everything must be in 

 order inside and there is no hurry about any- 

 thing. We should only wait in vain : the 

 insect would tell us nothing more for the time 

 being. Let us therefore examine the under- 

 ground dwelling. If we scrape the dune lightly 

 with the blade of a knife at the point where the 

 Bembex was busiest, we soon discover the 

 entrance-corridor, which, though blocked for 

 part of the way down, is nevertheless recog- 

 nizable by the distinctive appearance of the 

 materials moved. This passage, which is as 



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