288 Mr. E. F. Sandeman on the 
the bird was rapidly giving place to irritation at what began 
to look very like a trick of the others at the expense of our 
inexperience. 
However, the boys seemed so genuinely astonished at our 
doubts, that we still followed on. 
At last the bird stopped altogether in a small clump of 
some dozen mimosa-trees, all growing within a few feet of 
one another. 
When we came up to it, instead of, as heretofore, flying 
off in a straight line, it just flitted on to an opposite tree, 
remained there a few moments, and then back to its previous 
position. This was its signal that the nest was close at hand. 
The boys examined the trunks of the trees round most care- 
fully, but could find no opening where the nest could by any 
possibility be situated. The bird grew more and more angry 
and indignant at what it evidently considered our extreme 
stupidity, and flapped its little wmgs and redoubled the shrill 
eries which it had ceased to utter while leading us to the spot. 
At last, losing all patience, it actually settled on a piece of 
the stem of one of the trees it had been persistently flitting 
backwards and forwards in front of. The boys now, paying 
more attention to this particular tree, perceived just above 
where the bird had perched a small hole, and round it a kind 
of cement. While we were watching a bee flew out, which 
made it certain that the nest was within the trunk. The 
driver of Woodward’s waggon, who was an old hand at the 
work, at once climbed up the tree with a hatchet, and under 
his direction the others collected armfuls of dried grass. 
Taking a large handful of this he lighted it, and then struck 
with the hatchet at the mouth of the narrow hole. 
At the first blow a quantity of mud, wax, and decayed 
wood fell to the ground, with which the bees had skilfully 
walled up a large portion of the decayed wood. Out swarmed 
a cloud of bees, and now his burning grass came into opera- 
tion. As quickly as they flew out their wings were singed in 
the flames, and they dropped helpless to the ground. A. and 
myself had retreated toa safe distance from the tree; but the 
boys stood close up, hardly caring if they were stung or not. 
