Bees and Wasps. 69 



during which she carried off rather more than 64 

 grains of honey. 



I may add that I then left home for a few days. 

 I covered over the honey, leaving only a small 

 entrance for the wasp. When I returned on the 

 1 2th, I found her still at work, and by herself. It 

 was evident that she had continued her labours, 

 but without bringing any friends to assist her. 



My wasps, though courageous, were always on the 

 alert, and easily startled. It was, for instance, 

 more difficult to paint them than the bees ; never- 

 theless, though I tried them with a set of tuning- 

 forks covering three octaves, with a shrill whistle, a 

 pipe, a violin, and my own voice, making in each 

 case the loudest and shrillest sounds in my power, 

 I could see no symptoms in any case that they 

 were conscious of the noise. 



3. The following fact struck me as rather remark- 

 able. One of my wasps smeared her wings with 

 syrup, so that she could not fly. When this hap- 

 pened to a bee, it was only necessary to carry her to 

 the alighting-board of the hive, when she was soon 

 cleaned by her comrades. But I did not know 

 where this wasp's nest was, and therefore could not 

 pursue a similar course with her. At first, then, I 

 was afraid that she was doomed. I thought, how- 

 ever, that I would wash her, fully expecting, indeed, 

 to terrify her so much that she would not return 

 again. I caught her, put her in a bottle half full of 

 water, and shook her up well till the honey was 



