LETTEKS FROM ALABAMA. 
239 
room, where, previously to my observing her, she 
had made one cell, and the half of another parallel 
to it ; the former was closed, the latter had got its 
contents of spiders, and only wanted closing. Such 
was the status quo, I had not seen the Dauber go 
in for some time, so that when she did go in^ I 
watched her from her recommencement. She came 
empty, and having for some moments peeped in 
and examined the contents to see that all was 
right, she suddenly flew out at the room-door, 
(which, as well as the window, was almost con- 
stantly open,) and returned in about a minute with 
a lump of soft wet mud in her jav/s, about twice as 
large as her head. Where she got it in so short a 
time I don’t know; it was perfectly kneaded, and free 
from all lumps and grit, and was worked when laid 
on as freely as butter. I suspect that it was formed 
of dry dust, on which she had poured a drop of 
fluid from her mouth. She laid the substance on 
the open end of the unfinished cell, and spread it 
about with her jaws very expeditiously and skil- 
fully, till the orifice was quite closed up. She then 
flew off and returned with a similar load, which she 
applied upon the last to make it thicker. When 
she was gone the third time, in order to observe 
her behaviour, I thrust the head of a pin through 
the newly-laid mortar, opening a hole into the cell. 
On her return, she at once perceived the hole, and 
deposited her lump upon it, spreading it about as 
before. I played her the same trick several times, 
at all of which her proceedings were the same, save 
that at length she seemed to become very angry, 
and endeavoured to catch the house-flies that were 
flying and crawling near. I have no doubt that 
she suspected them of having a hand in it. At all 
