LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
241 
fore in the middle. I again pestered her by sticking 
a small tin -tack in the newly-laid mud, just where 
she would have to deposit the next load. When 
she came, she appeared quite “ bothered ; ” she ran 
backward and forward, and round and round, over 
the cells for some time, with the mud in her jaws, 
as if at a loss what to do in so novel an exigency. 
It was a different case from the former ; a hole 
could be stopped up, but here was an intruding 
substance just where she wanted to deposit ; should 
she lay it on, the incumbrance would be more 
firmly imbedded ; should she place it elsewhere, it 
would be wasted, not being needed, or perhaps be 
positively injurious; should she attempt to re- 
move the evil, her mouth was occupied, and she 
was unwilling to lose her burden. At length, 
however, as the least of the evils, she seized the 
tack with her jaws and drew it out, dropping her 
mud in the effort. When she was away the next time, 
I bundled up a worsted thread, and pressed it on 
the soft work, which presented a still more serious 
obstacle, as she could seize only a small part of 
it, which would yield without coming away ; how- 
ever, by taking hold of several parts of it succes- 
sively, and tugging at them a long time, and by 
walking round and round with it in her mouth, 
she at length got it out. These instances of saga- 
city and perseverance greatly pleased me. After 
laying on a load, she always cleans her antennsB 
with her fore feet, and her feet with her jaws : on 
arriving she never alights at the nest, but always 
on the inside of the cupboard-front, and crawls 
along the ceiling to it. 
August 6. — I pulled down the nest of the Yellow- 
footed Dauber, to which other cells had been added 
R 
