Whywereyounotherewithme,reveredmaster,onthebanksoftheAygues,whichisavastexpanseofpebblesforthree-fourthsoftheyearandamightytorrentwhenitrains?Ishouldhaveshownyousomethinginfinitelybetterthanthefugitiveescapingfromtheforceps。Youwouldhavewitnessed——andinsodoing,wouldhavesharedmysurprise——notthebriefflightoftheMasonwho,carriedtothenearestroom,releasesherselfandforthwithreturnstohernestinthatfamiliarneighbourhood,butlongjourneysthroughunknowncountry。YouwouldhaveseentheBeewhomIcarriedtoagreatdistancefromherhome,toquiteunfamiliarground,findherwaybackwithageographicalsenseofwhichtheSwallow,theMartinandtheCarrier-pigeonwouldnothavebeenashamed;andyouwouldhaveaskedyourself,asIdid,whatincomprehensibleknowledgeofthelocalmapguidesthatmotherseekinghernest。
Tocometofacts:itisamatterofrepeatingwiththeMason-beeoftheWallsmyformerexperimentswiththeCerceris-wasps(Cf。\"InsectLife\":chapter19。——Translator’sNote。),ofcarryingtheinsect,inthedark,alongwayfromitsnest,markingitandthenleavingittoitsownresources。Incaseanyoneshouldwishtotrytheexperimentforhimself,Imakehimapresentofmymannerofoperation,whichmaysavehimtimeattheoutset。Theinsectintendedforalongjourneymustobviouslybehandledwithcertainprecautions。Theremustbenoforcepsemployed,nopincers,whichmightmaimawing,strainitandweakenthepowerofflight。WhiletheBeeisinhercell,absorbedinherwork,Iplaceasmallglasstest-tubeoverit。TheMason,whenshefliesaway,rushesintothetube,whichenablesme,withouttouchingher,totransferheratonceintoascrewofpaper。ThisIquicklyclose。Atinbox,anordinarybotanizing-case,servestoconveytheprisoners,eachinherseparatepaperbag。
Themostdelicatebusiness,thatofmarkingeachcaptivebeforesettingherfree,islefttobedoneonthespotselectedforthestarting-point。Iusefinely-powderedchalk,steepedinastrongsolutionofgumarabic。Themixture,appliedtosomepartoftheinsectwithastraw,leavesawhitepatch,whichsoondriesandadherestothefleece。WhenaparticularMason-beehastobemarkedsoastodistinguishherfromanotherinshortexperiments,suchasI
shalldescribepresently,Iconfinemyselftotouchingthetipoftheabdomenwithmystrawwhiletheinsectishalfinthecell,headdownwards。TheslighttouchisnotnoticedbytheBee,whocontinuesherworkquiteundisturbed;butthemarkisnotverydeepandmoreoveritisinaratherbadplaceforanyprolongedexperiment,fortheBeeisconstantlybrushingherbellytodetachthepollenandissuretorubitoffsoonerorlater。Ithereforemakeanotherone,droppingthestickychalkrightinthemiddleofthethorax,betweenthewings。
Itishardlypossibletowearglovesatthiswork:thefingersneedalltheirdeftnesstotakeuptherestlessBeedelicatelyandtooverpowerherwithoutroughpressure。Itiseasilyseenthat,thoughthejobmayyieldnootherprofit,youareatleastsureofbeingstung。Thestingcanbeavoidedwithalittledexterity,butnotalways。Youhavetoputupwithit。Inanycase,theMason-bee’sstingisfarlesspainfulthanthatoftheHive-bee。Thewhitespotisdroppedonthethorax;theMasonfliesoff;andthemarkdriesonthejourney。
IstartwithtwoMason-beesoftheWallsworkingattheirnestsonthepebblesinthealluviaoftheAygues,notfarfromSerignan。IcarrythemhomewithmetoOrange,whereIreleasethemaftermarkingthem。
Accordingtotheordnance-surveymap,thedistanceisabouttwoandahalfmilesasthecrowflies。Thecaptivesaresetatlibertyintheevening,atatimewhentheBeesbegintoleaveoffworkfortheday。
ItisthereforeprobablethatmytwoBeeswillspendtheirnightintheneighbourhood。
Nextmorning,Igotothenests。Theweatherisstilltoocoolandtheworksaresuspended。Whenthedewhasgone,theMasonsbeginwork。I
seeone,butwithoutawhitespot,bringingpollentooneofthenestswhichhadbeenoccupiedbythetravellerswhomIamexpecting。Sheisastrangerwho,findingthecellwhoseownerImyselfhadexileduntenanted,hasinstalledherselfthereandmadeitherproperty,notknowingthatitisalreadythepropertyofanother。Shehasperhapsbeenvictuallingitsinceyesterdayevening。Closeuponteno’clock,whentheheatisatitsfull,themistressofthehousesuddenlyarrives:hertitle-deedsastheoriginaloccupantareinscribedformeinundeniablecharactersonherthoraxwhitewithchalk。Hereisoneofmytravellersback。
Overwavingcorn,overfieldsallpinkwithsainfoin,shehascoveredthetwomilesandahalf;andheresheis,backatthenest,afterforagingontheway,forthedoughtycreaturearriveswithherabdomenyellowwithpollen。Tocomehomeagainfromthevergeofthehorizoniswonderfulinitself;tocomehomewithawell-filledpollen-brushissuperlativeeconomy。Ajourney,evenaforcedjourney,alwaysbecomesaforaging-expedition。
Shefindsthestrangerinthenest:
’What’sthis?I’llteachyou!’
Andtheownerfallsfuriouslyupontheintruder,whopossiblywasmeaningnoharm。Ahotchaseinmid-airnowtakesplacebetweenthetwoMasons。Fromtimetotime,theyhoveralmostwithoutmovement,facetoface,withonlyacoupleofinchesseparatingthem,andhere,doubtlessmeasuringforceswiththeireyes,theybuzzinsultsateachother。Thentheygobackandalightonthenestindispute,firstone,thentheother。Iexpecttoseethemcometoblows,tomakethemdrawtheirstings。Butmyhopesaredisappointed:thedutiesofmaternityspeakintooimperiousavoiceforthemtorisktheirlivesandwipeouttheinsultinamortalduel。Thewholethingisconfinedtohostiledemonstrationsandafewinsignificantcuffs。
Nevertheless,therealproprietressseemstoderivedoublecourageanddoublestrengthfromthefeelingthatsheisinherrights。Shetakesupapermanentpositiononthenestandreceivestheother,eachtimethatsheventurestoapproach,withanangryquiverofherwings,anunmistakablesignofherrighteousindignation。Thestranger,atlastdiscouraged,retiresfromthefield。ForthwiththeMasonresumesherwork,asactivelyasthoughshehadnotjustundergonethehardshipsofalongjourney。
Onemorewordonthesequarrelsaboutproperty。Itisnotunusual,whenoneMason-beeisawayonanexpedition,foranother,somehomelessvagabond,tocallatthenest,takeafancytoitandsettoworkonit,sometimesatthesamecell,sometimesatthenext,ifthereareseveralvacant,whichisgenerallythecaseintheoldnests。Thefirstoccupier,onherreturn,neverfailstodriveawaytheintruder,whoalwaysendsbybeingturnedout,sokeenandinvincibleisthemistress’senseofownership。ReversingthesavagePrussianmaxim,’Mightisright,’amongtheMason-beesrightismight,forthereisnootherexplanationoftheinvariableretreatoftheusurper,whosestrengthisnotawhitinferiortothatoftherealowner。Ifsheislessbold,thisisbecauseshehasnotthetremendousmoralsupportofknowingherselfintheright,whichmakesitselfrespected,amongequals,eveninthebrutecreation。
Thesecondofmytravellersdoesnotreappear,eitheronthedaywhenthefirstarrivedoronthefollowingdays。Idecideuponanotherexperiment,onthisoccasionwithfivesubjects。Thestarting-placeisthesame;andtheplaceofarrival,thedistance,thetimeofday,allremainunchanged。OfthefivewithwhomIexperiment,Ifindthreeattheirnestsnextday;thetwoothersaremissing。
ItisthereforefullyestablishedthattheMason-beeoftheWalls,carriedtoadistanceoftwoandahalfmilesandreleasedataplacewhichshehascertainlyneverseenbefore,isabletoreturntothenest。Butwhydofirstoneoutoftwoandthentwooutoffivefailtojointheirfellows?Whatonecandocannotanotherdo?Isthereadifferenceinthefacultythatguidesthemoverunknownground?Orisitnotratheradifferenceinflying-power?IrememberthatmyBeesdidnotallstartoffwiththesamevigour。Somewerehardlyoutofmyfingersbeforetheydartedfuriouslyintotheair,whereIatoncelostsightofthem,whereastheotherscamedroppingdownafewyardsawayfromme,afterashortflight。Thelatter,itseemscertain,musthavesufferedonthejourney,perhapsfromtheheatconcentratedinthefurnaceofmybox。OrImayhavehurtthearticulationofthewingsinmarkingthem,anoperationdifficulttoperformwhenyouareguardingagainststings。Thesearemaimed,feeblecreatures,whowilllingerinthesainfoin-fieldscloseby,andnotthepowerfulaviatorsrequiredbythejourney。
Theexperimentmustbetriedagain,takingcountonlyoftheBeeswhostartoffstraightfrombetweenmyfingerswithaclean,vigorousflight。Thewaverers,thelaggardswhostopalmostatonceonsomebushshallbeleftoutofthereckoning。Moreover,Iwilldomybesttoestimatethetimetakeninreturningtothenest。Foranexperimentofthiskind,Ineedplentyofsubjects,astheweakandthemaimed,ofwhomtheremaybemany,aretobedisregarded。TheMason-beeoftheWallsisunabletosupplymewiththerequisitenumber:therearenotenoughofher;andIamanxiousnottointerferetoomuchwiththelittleAygues-sidecolony,forwhomIhaveotherexperimentsinview。
Fortunately,Ihaveatmyownplace,undertheeavesofashed,amagnificentnestofChalicodomasiculainfullactivity。IcandrawtowhateverextentIpleaseonthepopulouscity。Theinsectissmall,lessthanhalfthesizeofC。muraria,butnomatter:itwilldeserveallthemorecreditifitcantraversethetwomilesandahalfinstoreforitandfinditswaybacktothenest。ItakefortyBees,isolatingthem,asusual,inscrewsofpaper。
Inordertoreachthenest,Iplacealadderagainstthewall:itwillbeusedbymydaughterAglaeandwillenablehertomarktheexactmomentofthereturnofthefirstBee。Isettheclockonthemantelpieceandmywatchatthesametime,sothatwemaycomparetheinstantofdepartureandofarrival。Thingsbeingthusarranged,I
carryoffmyfortycaptivesandgototheidenticalspotwhereC。
murariaworks,inthepebblybedoftheAygues。Thetripwillhaveadoubleobject:toobserveReaumur’sMasonandtosettheSicilianMasonatliberty。Thelatter,therefore,willalsohavetwoandahalfmilestotravelhome。
Atlastmyprisonersarereleased,allofthembeingfirstmarkedwithabigwhitedotinthemiddleofthethorax。
Youdonotcomeoffscot-freewhenhandlingoneaftertheotherfortywrathfulBees,whopromptlyunsheatheandbrandishtheirpoisonedstings。Thestabisbuttoooftengivenbeforethemarkismade。Mysmartingfingersmakemovementsofself-defencewhichmywillisnotalwaysabletocontrol。Itakeholdwithgreaterprecautionformyselfthanfortheinsect;IsometimessqueezeharderthanIoughttoifI
amtosparemytravellers。Toexperimentsoastolift,ifpossible,atinycorneroftheveiloftruthisafineandnoblething,amightystimulantinthefaceofdanger;butstillonemaybeexcusedfordisplayingsomeimpatiencewhenitisamatterofreceivingfortystingsinone’sfingersatoneshortsitting。Ifanymanshouldreproachmeforbeingtoocarelesswithmythumbs,Iwouldsuggestthatheshouldhaveatry:hecanthenjudgeforhimselfthepleasuresofthesituation。
Tocutalongstoryshort,eitherthroughthefatigueofthejourney,orthroughmyfingerspressingtoohardandperhapsinjuringsomearticulations,onlytwentyoutofmyfortyBeesstartwithabold,vigorousflight。Theothers,unabletokeeptheirbalance,wanderaboutonthenearestbitofgrassorremainontheosier-shootsonwhichIhaveplacedthem,refusingtoflyevenwhenIticklethemwithastraw。Theseweaklings,thesecripples,theseincapablesinjuredbymyfingersmustbestruckoffmylist。Thosewhostartedwithanunhesitatingflightnumberabouttwenty。Thatisample。
Attheactualmomentofdeparture,thereisnothingdefiniteaboutthedirectiontaken,noneofthatstraightflighttothenestwhichtheCerceris-waspsonceshowedmeinsimilarcircumstances。Assoonastheyareliberated,theMason-beesfleeasthoughscared,someinonedirection,someinexactlytheoppositedirection。Nevertheless,asfarastheirimpetuousflightallows,IseemtoperceiveaquickreturnonthepartofthoseBeeswhohavestartedflyingtowardsapointoppositetotheirhome;andthemajorityappeartometobemakingforthosebluedistanceswheretheirnestlies。IleavethisquestionwithcertaindoubtswhichareinevitableinthecaseofinsectswhichIcannotfollowwithmyeyesformorethantwentyyards。
Hitherto,theoperationhasbeenfavouredbycalmweather;butnowthingsbecomecomplicated。Theheatisstiflingandtheskybecomesstormy。Astiffbreezespringsup,blowingfromthesouth,theverydirectionwhichmyBeesmusttaketoreturntothenest。Cantheyovercomethisopposingcurrentandcleavetheaerialtorrentwiththeirwings?Iftheytry,theywillhavetoflyclosetotheground,asInowseetheBeesdowhocontinuetheirforaging;butsoaringtoloftyregions,whencetheycanobtainaclearviewofthecountry,is,soitseemstome,prohibited。IamthereforeveryapprehensiveastothesuccessofmyexperimentwhenIreturntoOrange,afterfirsttryingtostealsomefreshsecretfromtheAyguesMason-beeofthePebbles。
IhavescarcelyreachedthehousebeforeAglaegreetsme,hercheeksflushedwithexcitement:
’Two!’shecries。’Twocamebackattwentyminutestothree,withaloadofpollenundertheirbellies!’
Afriendofminehadappeareduponthescene,agravemanofthelaw,whoonhearingwhatwashappening,hadneglectedcodeandstampedpaperandinsisteduponalsobeingpresentatthearrivalofmyCarrier-pigeons。Theresultinterestedhimmorethanhiscaseaboutaparty-wall。Underatropicalsun,inafurnaceheatreflectedfromthewalloftheshed,everyfiveminutesheclimbedtheladderbare-
headed,withnootherprotectionagainstsunstrokethanhisthatchofthick,greylocks。InsteadoftheoneobserverwhomIhadposted,I
foundtwogoodpairsofeyeswatchingtheBees’return。
Ihadreleasedmyinsectsatabouttwoo’clock;andthefirstarrivalsreturnedtothenestattwentyminutestothree。Theyhadthereforetakenlessthanthree-quartersofanhourtocoverthetwomilesandahalf,averystrikingresult,especiallywhenwerememberthattheBeesdidsomeforagingontheroad,aswasprovedbytheyellowpollenontheirbellies,andthat,ontheotherhand,thetravellers’flightmusthavebeenhinderedbythewindblowingagainstthem。Threemorecamehomebeforemyeyes,eachwithherloadofpollen,anoutwardandvisiblesignoftheworkdoneonthejourney。Asitwasgrowinglate,ourobservationshadtocease。Whenthesungoesdown,theMason-beesleavethenestandtakerefugesomewhereorother,perhapsunderthetilesoftheroofs,orinlittlecornersofthewalls。Icouldnotreckononthearrivaloftheothersbeforeworkwasresumed,inthefullsunshine。
Nextday,whenthesunrecalledthescatteredworkerstothenest,I
tookafreshcensusofBeeswithawhitespotonthethorax。Mysuccessexceededallmyhopes:Icountedfifteen,fifteenofthetransportedprisonersofthedaybefore,storingtheircellsorbuildingasthoughnothingoutofthewayhadhappened。Theweatherhadbecomemoreandmorethreatening;andnowthestormburstandwasfollowedbyasuccessionofrainydayswhichpreventedmefromcontinuing。
Theexperimentsufficesasitstands。OfsometwentyBeeswhohadseemedfittomakethelongjourneywhenIreleasedthem,fifteenatleasthadreturned:twowithinthefirsthour,threeinthecourseoftheeveningandtherestnextmorning。Theyhadreturnedinspiteofhavingthewindagainstthemand——agraverdifficultystill——inspiteofbeingunacquaintedwiththelocalitytowhichIhadtransportedthem。Thereis,infact,nodoubtthattheyweresettingeyesforthefirsttimeonthoseosier-bedsoftheAygueswhichIhadselectedasthestarting-point。Neverwouldtheyhavetravelledsofarafieldoftheirownaccord,foreverythingthattheywantforbuildingandvictuallingundertheroofofmyshediswithineasyreach。Thepathatthefootofthewallsuppliesthemortar;theflowerymeadowssurroundingmyhousefurnishnectarandpollen。Economicaloftheirtimeastheyare,theydonotgoflyingtwomilesandahalfinsearchofwhataboundsatafewyardsfromthenest。Besides,Iseethemdailytakingtheirbuilding-materialsfromthepathandgatheringtheirharvestonthewild-flowers,especiallyonthemeadowsage。Toallappearance,theirexpeditionsdonotcovermorethanaradiusofahundredyardsorso。Thenhowdidmyexilesreturn?Whatguidedthem?
Itwascertainlynotmemory,butsomespecialfacultywhichwemustcontentourselveswithrecognizingbyitsastonishingeffectswithoutpretendingtoexplainit,sogreatlydoesittranscendourownpsychology。
CHAPTER3。EXCHANGINGTHENESTS。
LetuscontinueourseriesoftestswiththeMason-beeoftheWalls。
Thankstoitspositiononapebblewhichwecanmoveatwill,thenestofthisBeelendsitselftomostinterestingexperiments。Hereisthefirst:Ishiftanestfromitsplace,thatistosay,Icarrythepebblewhichservesasitssupporttoaspottwoyardsaway。Astheedificeanditsbaseformbutone,theremovalisperformedwithoutthesmallestdisturbanceofthecells。Ilaytheboulderinanexposedplacewhereitiswellinview,asitwasonitsoriginalsite。TheBeereturningfromherharvestcannotfailtoseeit。
Inafewminutes,theownerarrivesandgoesstraighttowheretheneststood。Shehoversgracefullyoverthevacantsite,examinesandalightsupontheexactspotwherethestoneusedtolie。Hereshewalksaboutforalongtime,makingpersistentsearches;thentheBeetakeswingandfliesawaytosomedistance。Herabsenceisofshortduration。Heresheisbackagain。Thesearchisresumed,walkingandflying,andalwaysonthesitewhichthenestoccupiedatfirst。A
freshfitofexasperation,thatistosay,anabruptflightacrosstheosier-bed,isfollowedbyafreshreturnandarenewalofthevainsearch,alwaysuponthemarkleftbytheshiftedpebble。Thesesuddendepartures,thesepromptreturns,theseperseveringinspectionsofthedesertedspotcontinueforalongtime,averylongtime,beforetheMasonisconvincedthathernestisgone。Shehascertainlyseenit,hasseenitoverandoveragaininitsnewposition,forsometimesshehasflownonlyafewinchesaboveit;butshetakesnonoticeofit。
Toher,itisnothernest,butthepropertyofanotherBee。
OftentheexperimentendswithoutsomuchasasinglevisittotheboulderwhichIhavemovedtwoorthreeyardsaway:theBeegoesoffanddoesnotreturn。Ifthedistancebeless,ayardforinstance,theMasonsoonerorlateralightsonthestonewhichsupportsherabode。
Sheinspectsthecellwhichshewasbuildingorprovisioningalittlewhilebefore,repeatedlydipsherheadintoit,examinesthesurfaceofthepebblestepbystepand,afterlonghesitations,goesandresumeshersearchonthesitewherethehomeoughttobe。Thenestthatisnolongerinitsnaturalplaceisdefinitelyabandoned,eventhoughitbebutayardawayfromtheoriginalspot。VainlydoestheBeesettleonittimeaftertime:shecannotrecognizeitashers。I
wasconvincedofthisonfindingit,severaldaysaftertheexperiment,injustthesameconditionaswhenImovedit。Theopencellhalf-filledwithhoneywasstillopenandwassurrenderingitscontentstothepillagingAnts;thecellthatwasbuildinghadremainedunfinished,withnotasinglelayeraddedtoit。TheBee,obviously,mayhavereturnedtoit;butshehadnotresumedworkuponit。Thetransplanteddwellingwasabandonedforgoodandall。
IwillnotdeducethestrangeparadoxthattheMason-bee,thoughcapableoffindinghernestfromthevergeofthehorizon,isincapableoffindingitatayard’sdistance:Iinterprettheoccurrenceasmeaningsomethingquitedifferent。Theproperinferenceappearstometobethis:theBeeretainsarootedimpressionofthesiteoccupiedbythenestandreturnstoitwithunwearyingpersistenceevenwhenthenestisgone。Butshehasonlyaveryvaguenotionofthenestitself。Shedoesnotrecognizethemasonrywhichsheherselfhaserectedandkneadedwithhersaliva;shedoesnotknowthepollen-pastewhichsheherselfhasstored。Invainsheinspectshercell,herownhandiwork;sheabandonsit,refusingtoacknowledgeitashers,oncethespotwhereonthepebblerestsischanged。
Insectmemory,itmustbeconfessed,isastrangeone,displayingsuchlucidityinitsgeneralacquaintancewithlocalityandsuchlimitationsinitsknowledgeofthedwelling。Ifeelinclinedtocallittopographicalinstinct:itgraspsthemapofthecountryandnotthebelovednest,thehomeitself。TheBembex-wasps(Cf。\"InsectLife\":chapters16to19。——Translator’sNote。)havealreadyledustoalikeconclusion。Whenthenestislaidopen,theseWaspsbecomewhollyindifferenttothefamily,tothegrubwrithinginagonyinthesun。Theydonotrecognizeit。Whattheydorecognize,whattheyseekandfindwithmarvellousprecision,isthesiteoftheentrance-doorofwhichnothingatallisleft,noteventhethreshold。
IfanydoubtsremainedastotheincapacityoftheMason-beeoftheWallstoknowhernestotherthanbytheplacewhichthepebbleoccupiesontheground,hereissomethingtoremovethem:forthenestofoneMason-bee,Isubstitutethatofanother,resemblingitascloselyaspossibleinrespecttobothmasonryandstorage。ThisexchangeandthoseofwhichIshallspeakpresentlyareofcoursemadeintheowner’sabsence。TheBeesettleswithouthesitationinthisnestwhichisnothers,butwhichstandswheretheotherdid。Ifshewasbuilding,Iofferheracellinprocessofbuilding。Shecontinuesthemasonrywiththesamecareandthesamezealasiftheworkalreadydonewereherownwork。Ifshewasfetchinghoneyandpollen,Iofferherapartly-provisionedcell。Shecontinuesherjourneys,withhoneyinhercropandpollenunderherbelly,tofinishfillinganother’swarehouse。TheBee,therefore,doesnotsuspecttheexchange;shedoesnotdistinguishbetweenwhatisherpropertyandwhatisnot;sheimaginesthatsheisstillworkingatthecellwhichisreallyhers。
Afterleavingherforatimeinpossessionofthestrangenest,Igiveherbackherown。ThisfreshchangepassesunperceivedbytheBee:theworkiscontinuedinthecellrestoredtoheratthepointwhichithadreachedinthesubstitutedcell。Ioncemorereplaceitbythestrangenest;andagaintheinsectpersistsincontinuingitslabour。
Bythusconstantlyinterchangingthestrangenestandthepropernest,withoutalteringtheactualsite,IthoroughlyconvincedmyselfoftheBee’sinabilitytodiscriminatebetweenwhatisherworkandwhatisnot。Whetherthecellbelongtoherortoanother,shelaboursatitwithequalzest,solongasthebasisoftheedifice,thepebble,continuestooccupyitsoriginalposition。
Theexperimentreceivesanaddedinterestifweemploytwoneighbouringneststheworkonwhichisaboutequallyadvanced。Imoveeachtowheretheotherstood。Theyarenotmuchmorethanthirtyinchesapart。Inspiteoftheirbeingsoneartoeachotherthatitisquitepossiblefortheinsectstoseebothhomesatonceandchoosebetweenthem,eachBee,onarriving,settlesimmediatelyonthesubstitutednestandcontinuesherworkthere。ChangethetwonestsasoftenasyoupleaseandyoushallseethetwoMason-beeskeeptothesitewhichtheyselectedandlabourinturnnowattheirowncellandnowattheother’s。
Onemightthinkthatthecauseofthisconfusionliesinacloseresemblancebetweenthetwonests,foratthestart,littleexpectingtheresultswhichIwastoobtain,IusedtochoosethenestswhichI
interchangedasmuchalikeaspossible,forfearofdishearteningtheBees。Ineednothavetakenthisprecaution:Iwasgivingtheinsectcreditforaperspicacitywhichitdoesnotpossess。Indeed,Inowtaketwonestswhichareextremelyunlikeeachother,theonlypointofresemblancebeingthat,ineachcase,thetoilerfindsacellinwhichshecancontinuetheworkwhichsheisactuallydoing。Thefirstisanoldnestwhosedomeisperforatedwitheightholes,theaperturesofthecellsofthepreviousgeneration。Oneofthesecellshasbeenrepaired;andtheBeeisbusystoringit。Thesecondisanestofrecentconstruction,whichhasnotreceiveditsmortardomeandconsistsofasinglecellwithitsstuccocovering。Heretootheinsectisbusyhoardingpollen-paste。Notwonestscouldpresentgreaterdifferences:onewithitseightemptychambersanditsspreadingclaydome;theotherwithitssinglebarecell,atmostthesizeofanacorn。
Well,thetwoMason-beesdonothesitatelonginfrontoftheseexchangednests,notthreefeetawayfromeachother。Eachmakesforthesiteofherlatehome。One,theoriginalowneroftheoldnest,findsnothingbutasolitarycell。Sherapidlyinspectsthepebbleand,withoutfurtherformalities,firstplungesherheadintothestrangecell,todisgorgehoney,andthenherabdomen,todepositpollen。Andthisisnotanactionduetotheimperativeneedofriddingherselfasquicklyaspossible,nomatterwhere,ofanirksomeload,fortheBeefliesoffandsooncomesbackagainwithafreshsupplyofprovender,whichshestoresawaycarefully。Thiscarryingofprovisionstoanother’slarderisrepeatedasoftenasIpermitit。
TheotherBee,findinginsteadofheronecellaroomystructureconsistingofeightapartments,isatfirstnotalittleembarrassed。
Whichoftheeightcellsistherightone?Inwhichistheheapofpasteonwhichshehadbegun?TheBeethereforevisitsthechambersonebyone,divesrightdowntothebottomandendsbyfindingwhatsheseeks,thatistosay,whatwasinhernestwhenshestartedonherlastjourney,thenucleusofastoreoffood。Thenceforwardshebehaveslikeherneighbourandgoesoncarryinghoneyandpollentothewarehousewhichisnotofherconstructing。
Restoretheneststotheiroriginalplaces,exchangethemyetonceagainandbothBees,afterashorthesitationwhichthegreatdifferencebetweenthetwonestsisenoughtoexplain,willpursuetheworkinthecellofherownmakingandinthestrangecellalternately。Atlasttheeggislaidandthesanctuaryclosed,nomatterwhatnesthappenstobeoccupiedatthemomentwhentheprovisioningreachescompletion。TheseincidentsaresufficienttoshowwhyIhesitatetogivethenameofmemorytothesingularfacultythatbringstheinsectbacktohernestwithsuchunerringprecisionandyetdoesnotallowhertodistinguishherworkfromsomeoneelse’s,howevergreatthedifferencemaybe。
WewillnowexperimentwithChalicodomamurariafromanotherpsychologicalpointofview。HereisaMason-beebuilding;sheisatworkonthefirstcourseofhercell。Igiveherinexchangeacellnotonlyfinishedasastructure,butalsofillednearlytothetopwithhoney。Ihavejuststolenitfromitsowner,whowouldnothavebeenlongbeforelayingheregginit。WhatwilltheMasondointhepresenceofthismunificentgift,whichsavesherthetroubleofbuildingandharvesting?Shewillleavethemortarnodoubt,finishstoringtheBee-bread,layhereggandsealup。Amistake,anuttermistake:ourlogicisnotthelogicoftheinsect,whichobeysaninevitable,unconsciousprompting。Ithasnochoiceastowhatitshalldo;itcannotdiscriminatebetweenwhatisandwhatisnotadvisable;itglides,asitwere,downanirresistibleslopepreparedbeforehandtobringittoadefiniteend。Thisiswhatthefactsthatstillremaintobestatedproclaimwithnouncertainvoice。
TheBeewhowasbuildingandtowhomIofferacellready-builtandfullofhoneydoesnotlayasidehermortarforthat。Shewasdoingmason’swork;and,onceonthattack,guidedbytheunconsciousimpulse,shehastokeepmasoning,eventhoughherlabourbeuseless,superfluousandopposedtoherinterests。ThecellwhichIgiveheriscertainlyperfect,lookeduponasabuilding,intheopinionofthemaster-builderherself,sincetheBeefromwhomItookitwascompletingtheprovisionofhoney。Totouchitup,especiallytoaddtoit,isuselessand,whatismore,absurd。Nomatter:theBeewhowasmasoningwillmason。Ontheapertureofthehoney-storeshelaysafirstcourseofmortar,followedbyanotherandyetanother,untilatlastthecellisathirdtallerthentheregulationheight。Themasonry-taskisnowdone,notasperfectly,itistrue,asiftheBeehadgoneonwiththecellwhosefoundationsshewaslayingatthemomentwhenIexchangedthenests,butstilltoanextentwhichismorethanenoughtoprovetheoverpoweringimpulsewhichthebuilderobeys。Nextcomesthevictualling,whichisalsocutshort,lestthehoney-storeswelledbythejointcontributionsofthetwoBeesshouldoverflow。ThustheMason-beewhoisbeginningtobuildandtowhomwegiveacompletecell,acellfilledwithhoney,makesnochangeintheorderofherwork:shebuildsfirstandthenvictuals。Onlysheshortensherwork,herinstinctwarningherthattheheightofthecellandthequantityofhoneyarebeginningtoassumeextravagantproportions。
Theconverseisequallyconclusive。ToaMason-beeengagedinvictuallingIgiveanestwithacellonlyjustbegunandnotatallfittoreceivethepaste。Thiscell,withitslastcoursestillwetwithitsbuilder’ssaliva,mayormaynotbeaccompaniedbyothercellsrecentlyclosedup,eachwithitshoneyanditsegg。TheBee,findingthisintheplaceofherhalf-filledhoney-store,isgreatlyperplexedwhattodowhenshecomeswithherharvesttothisunfinished,shallowcup,inwhichthereisnoplacetoputthehoney。
Sheinspectsit,measuresitwithhereyes,triesitwithherantennaeandrecognizesitsinsufficientcapacity。Shehesitatesforalongtime,goesaway,comesback,fliesawayagainandsoonreturns,eagertodeposithertreasure。Theinsect’sembarrassmentismostevident;
andIcannothelpsaying,inwardly:
’Getsomemortar,getsomemortarandfinishmakingthewarehouse。Itwillonlytakeyouafewmoments;andyouwillhaveacupboardoftherightdepth。’
TheBeethinksdifferently:shewasstoringhercellandshemustgoonstoring,comewhatmay。Neverwillshebringherselftolayasidethepollen-brushforthetrowel;neverwillshesuspendtheforagingwhichisoccupyingheratthismomenttobegintheworkofconstructionwhichisnotyetdue。Shewillrathergoinsearchofastrangecell,inthedesiredcondition,andslipintheretodepositherhoney,attheriskofmeetingwithawarmreceptionfromtheirateowner。Shegoesoff,infact,totryherluck。Iwishhersuccess,beingmyselfthecauseofthisdesperateact。Mycuriosityhasturnedanhonestworkerintoarobber。
Thingsmaytakeastillmoreseriousturn,soinvincible,soimperiousisthedesiretohavethebootystoredinasafeplacewithoutdelay。
TheuncompletedcellwhichtheBeerefusestoacceptinsteadofherownfinishedwarehouse,half-filledwithhoney,isoften,asIsaid,accompaniedbyothercells,notlongclosed,eachcontainingitsBee-
breadanditsegg。Inthiscase,Ihavesometimes,thoughnotalways,witnessedthefollowing:whenoncetheBeerealisestheshortcomingsoftheunfinishednest,shebeginstognawtheclaylidclosingoneoftheadjoiningcells。Shesoftensapartofthemortarcoverwithsalivaandpatiently,atombyatom,digsthroughthehardwall。Itisveryslowwork。Agoodhalf-hourelapsesbeforethetinycavityislargeenoughtoadmitapin’shead。Iwaitlongerstill。ThenIlosepatience;and,fullyconvincedthattheBeeistryingtoopenthestore-room,Idecidetohelphertoshortenthework。Theupperpartofthecellcomesawaywithit,leavingtheedgesbadlybroken。Inmyawkwardness,Ihaveturnedanelegantvaseintoawretchedcrackedpot。
Iwasrightinmyconjecture:theBee’sintentionwastobreakopenthedoor。Straightaway,withoutheedingtheraggednessoftheorifice,shesettlesdowninthecellwhichIhaveopenedforher。
Timeaftertime,shefetcheshoneyandpollen,thoughthelarderisalreadyfullystocked。Lastly,shelaysheregginthiscellwhichalreadycontainsaneggthatisnothers,havingdonewhichsheclosesthebrokenaperturetothebestofherability。Sothispurveyorhadneithertheknowledgenorthepowertobowtotheinevitable。Ihadmadeitimpossibleforhertogoonwithherpurveying,unlessshefirstcompletedtheunfinishedcellsubstitutedforherown。Butshedidnotretreatbeforethatimpossibletask。Sheaccomplishedherwork,butintheabsurdestway:byinjuriouslytrespassinguponanother’sproperty,bycontinuingtostoreprovisionsinacupboardalreadyfulltooverflowing,bylayingheregginacellinwhichtherealownerhadalreadylaidandlastlybyhurriedlyclosinganorificethatcalledforseriousrepairs。Whatbetterproofcouldbewishedoftheirresistiblepropensitywhichtheinsectobeys?
Lastly,therearecertainswiftandconsecutiveactionssocloselyinterlinkedthattheperformanceoftheseconddemandsapreviousrepetitionofthefirst,evenwhenthisactionhasbecomeuseless。I
havealreadydescribedhowtheYellow-wingedSphex(Cf。\"InsectLife\":
chapters6to9。——Translator’sNote。)persistsindescendingintoherburrowalone,afterdepositingatitsedgetheCricketwhomI
maliciouslyatonceremove。Herrepeateddiscomfituresdonotmakeherabandonthepreliminaryinspectionofthehome,aninspectionwhichbecomesquiteuselesswhenrenewedforthetenthortwentiethtime。
TheMason-beeoftheWallsshowsus,underanotherform,asimilarrepetitionofanactwhichisuselessinitself,butwhichisthecompulsoryprefacetotheactthatfollows。Whenarrivingwithherprovisions,theBeeperformsatwofoldoperationofstoring。First,shedivesheadforemostintothecell,todisgorgethecontentsofhercrop;next,shecomesoutandatoncegoesinagainbackwards,tobrushherabdomenandrubofftheloadofpollen。Atthemomentwhentheinsectisabouttoenterthecelltailfirst,Ipushherasidegentlywithastraw。Thesecondactisthusprevented。TheBeenowbeginsthewholeperformanceoveragain,thatistosay,sheoncemoredivesheadfirsttothebottomofthecell,thoughshehasnothinglefttodisgorge,ashercrophasjustbeenemptied。Whenthisisdone,itisthebelly’sturn。Iinstantlypushherasideagain。Theinsectrepeatsitsproceedings,stillenteringheadfirst;Ialsorepeatmytouchofthestraw。Andthiscangoonaslongastheobserverpleases。Pushedasideatthemomentwhensheisabouttoinsertherabdomenintothecell,theBeegoesbacktotheopeningandpersistsingoingdownheadfirsttobeginwith。Sometimes,shedescendstothebottom,sometimesonlyhalf-way,sometimesagainsheonlypretendstodescend,justbendingherheadintotheaperture;
but,whethercompletedornot,thisaction,forwhichthereisnolongeranymotive,sincethehoneyhasalreadybeendisgorged,invariablyprecedestheentrancebackwardstodepositthepollen。Itisalmostthemovementofamachinewhoseworksareonlysetgoingwhenthedriving-wheelbeginstorevolve。
CHAPTER4。MOREENQUIRIESINTOMASON-BEES。
ThischapterwastohavetakentheformofaletteraddressedtoCharlesDarwin,theillustriousnaturalistwhonowliesburiedbesideNewtoninWestminsterAbbey。Itwasmytasktoreporttohimtheresultofsomeexperimentswhichhehadsuggestedtomeinthecourseofourcorrespondence:averypleasanttask,for,thoughfacts,asI
seethem,disinclinemetoaccepthistheories,Ihavenonethelessthedeepestvenerationforhisnoblecharacterandhisscientifichonesty。Iwasdraftingmyletterwhenthesadnewsreachedme:Darwinwasdead;aftersearchingthemightyquestionoforigins,hewasnowgrapplingwiththelastanddarkestproblemofthehereafter。(DarwindiedatDown,inKent,onthe19thofApril1882。——Translator’sNote。)
Ithereforeabandontheepistolaryform,whichwouldbeunwarrantedinviewofthatgraveatWestminster。AfreeandimpersonalstatementshallsetforthwhatIintendedtorelateinamoreacademicmanner。
Onething,aboveall,hadstrucktheEnglishscientistonreadingthefirstvolumeofmy\"Souvenirsentomologiques\",namely,theMason-bees’
facultyofknowingthewaybacktotheirnestsafterbeingcarriedtogreatdistancesfromhome。Whatsortofcompassdotheyemployontheirreturnjourneys?Whatsenseguidesthem?TheprofoundobserverthereuponspokeofanexperimentwhichhehadalwayslongedtomakewithPigeonsandwhichhehadalwaysneglectedmaking,absorbedashewasbyotherinterests。Thisexperiment,hethought,ImightattemptwithmyBees。Substitutetheinsectforthebird;andtheproblemremainedthesame。Iquotefromhisletterthepassagereferringtothetrialwhichhewishedmade:
’Allowmetomakeasuggestioninrelationtoyourwonderfulaccountofinsectsfindingtheirwayhome。Iformerlywishedtotryitwithpigeons;namely,tocarrytheinsectsintheirpapercornetsaboutahundredpacesintheoppositedirectiontothatwhichyouintendedultimatelytocarrythem,butbeforeturningroundtoreturn,toputtheinsectsinacircularboxwithanaxlewhichcouldbemadetorevolveveryrapidlyfirstinonedirectionandtheninanother,soastodestroyforatimeallsenseofdirectionintheinsects。Ihavesometimesimaginedthatanimalsmayfeelinwhichdirectiontheywereatthefirststartcarried。’
Thismethodofexperimentingseemedtomeveryingeniouslyconceived。
Beforegoingwest,Iwalkeastwards。Inthedarknessoftheirpaperbags,themerefactthatIammovingthemgivesmyprisonersasenseofthedirectioninwhichIamtakingthem。Ifnothinghappenedtodisturbthisfirstimpression,theinsectwouldbeguidedbyitinreturning。ThiswouldexplainthehomingofmyMason-beescarriedtoadistanceoftwoorthreemilesamidstrangesurroundings。But,whentheinsectshavebeensufficientlyimpressedbytheirconveyancetotheeast,therecomestherapidtwirl,firstthiswayround,thenthat。Bewilderedbyalltheserevolutionsfirstinonedirectionandtheninanother,theinsectdoesnotknowthatIhaveturnedroundandremainsunderitsoriginalimpression。Iamnowtakingittothewest,whenitbelievesitselftobestilltravellingtowardstheeast。Undertheinfluenceofthisimpression;theinsectisboundtoloseitsbearings。Whensetfree,itwillflyintheoppositedirectiontoitshome,whichitwillneverfindagain。
Thisresultseemedtomethemoreprobableinasmuchasthestatementsofthecountry-folkaroundmewereallofanaturetoconfirmmyhopes。Favier(Theauthor’sgardenerandfactotum。Cf。\"TheLifeoftheFly\":chapter4。——Translator’sNote。),theverymanforthissortofinformation,wasthefirsttoputmeonthetrack。Hetoldmethat,whenpeoplewanttomoveaCatfromonefarmtoanotheratsomedistance,theyplacetheanimalinabagwhichtheytwirlrapidlyatthemomentofstarting,thuspreventingtheanimalfromreturningtothehousewhichithasquitted。Manyothers,besidesFavier,describedthesamepracticetome。Accordingtothem,thistwirlingroundinabagwasaninfallibleexpedient:thebewilderedCatneverreturned。I
communicatedwhatIhadlearnttoEngland,IwrotetothesageofDownandtoldhimhowthepeasanthadanticipatedtheresearchesofscience。CharlesDarwinwasamazed;sowasI;andwebothofusalmostreckonedonasuccess。
Thesepreliminariestookplaceinthewinter;IhadplentyoftimetopreparefortheexperimentwhichwastobemadeinthefollowingMay。
’Favier,’Isaid,oneday,tomyassistant,’Ishallwantsomeofthosenests。Goandaskournext-doorneighbour’sleaveandclimbtotheroofofhisshed,withsomenewtilesandsomemortar,whichyoucanfetchfromthebuilder’s。Takeadozentilesfromtheroof,thosewiththebiggestnestsonthem,andputthenewonesintheirplace。’
Thingsweredoneaccordingly。Myneighbourassentedwithagoodgracetotheexchangeoftiles,forhehimselfisobliged,fromtimetotime,todemolishtheworkoftheMason-bee,unlesshewouldriskseeinghisrooffallinsoonerorlater。Iwasmerelyforestallingarepairwhichbecamemoreurgenteveryyear。Thatsameevening,Iwasinpossessionoftwelvemagnificentrectangularblocksofnest,eachlyingontheconvexsurfaceofatile,thatistosay,onthesurfacelookingtowardstheinsideoftheshed。Ihadthecuriositytoweighthelargest:itturnedthescaleatthirty-fivepounds。Nowtheroofwhenceitcamewascoveredwithsimilarmasses,adjoiningoneanother,overastretchofsomeseventytiles。Reckoningonlyhalftheweight,soastostrikeanaveragebetweenthelargestandthesmallestlumps,wefindthetotalweightoftheBee’smasonrytoamounttothree-
quartersofaton。And,evenso,peopletellmethattheyhaveseenthisbeatenelsewhere。LeavetheMason-beetoherowndevices,inthespotthatsuitsher;allowtheworkofmanygenerationstoaccumulate;
and,onefineday,theroofwillbreakdownundertheextraburden。
Letthenestsgrowold;letthemfalltopieceswhenthedampgetsintothem;andyouwillhavechunkstumblingonyourheadbigenoughtocrackyourskull。Thereyouseetheworkofaverylittle-knowninsect。(TheinsectissolittleknownthatImadeaseriousmistakewhentreatingofitinthefirstvolumeofthese\"Souvenirs。\"UndermyerroneousdenominationofChalicodomasiculaarereallycomprisedtwospecies,onebuildingitsnestsinourdwellingsandparticularlyunderthetilesofouthouses,theotherbuildingitsnestsonthebranchesofshrubs。Thefirstspecieshasreceivedvariousnames,whichare,inorderofpriority:Chalicodomapyrenaica,LEP。
(Megachile);Chalicodomapyrrhopeza,GERSTACKER;Chalicodomarufitarsis,GIRAUD。Itisapitythatthenameoccupyingthefirstplaceshouldlenditselftomisconception。IhesitatetoapplytheepithetofPyreneantoaninsectwhichismuchlesscommoninthePyreneesthaninmyowndistrict。IshallcallittheChalicodoma,orMason-bee,oftheSheds。Thereisnoobjectiontotheuseofthisnameinabookwherethereaderprefersluciditytothetyrannyofsystematicentomology。Thesecondspecies,thatwhichbuildsitsnestsonthebranches,isChalicodomarufescens,J。PEREZ。Foralikereason,IshallcallittheChalicodomaoftheShrubs。IowethesecorrectionstothekindnessofProfessorJeanPerez,ofBordeaux,whoissowell-versedintheloreofWaspsandBees。——Author’sNote。)
Thesetreasureswereinsufficient,notinregardtoquantity,butinregardtoquality,forthemainobjectwhichIhadinview。Theycamefromthenearesthouse,separatedfromminebyalittlefieldplantedwithcornandolive-trees。Ihadreasontofearthattheinsectsissuingfromthosenestsmightbehereditarilyinfluencedbytheirancestors,whohadlivedintheshedformanyalongyear。TheBee,whencarriedtoadistance,wouldperhapscomeback,guidedbytheinveteratefamilyhabit;shewouldfindtheshedofherlinealpredecessorsandthence,withoutdifficulty,reachhernest。Asitisthefashionnowadaystoassignaprominentparttothesehereditaryinfluences,Imusteliminatethemfrommyexperiments。IwantstrangeBees,broughtfromafar,whosereturntotheplaceoftheirbirthcaninnowayassisttheirreturntothenesttransplantedtoanothersite。
Faviertookthebusinessinhand。HehaddiscoveredonthebanksoftheAygues,atsomemilesfromthevillage,adesertedhutwheretheMason-beeshadestablishedthemselvesinanumerouscolony。Heproposedtotakethewheelbarrow,inwhichtomovetheblocksofcells;butIobjected:thejoltingofthevehicleovertheroughpathsmightjeopardisethecontentsofthecells。Abasketcarriedontheshoulderwasdeemedsafer。Faviertookamantohelphimandsetout。
Theexpeditionprovidedmewithfourwell-stockedtiles。Itwasallthatthetwomenwereabletocarrybetweenthem;andeventhenIhadtostandtreatontheirarrival:theywereutterlyexhausted。LeVaillanttellsusofanestofRepublicans(SocialWeaver-birds。——
Translator’sNote。)withwhichheloadedawagondrawnbytwooxen。MyMason-beevieswiththeSouth-Africanbird:ayokeofOxenwouldnothavebeentoomanytomovethewholeofthatnestfromthebanksoftheAygues。
Thenextthingistoplacemytiles。Iwanttohavethemundermyeyes,inapositionwhereIcanwatchthemeasilyandsavemyselftheworriesofearlierdays:goingupanddownladders,standingforhoursatastretchonanarrowrungthathurtthesolesofmyfeetandriskingsunstrokeupagainstascorchingwall。Moreover,itisnecessarythatmyguestsshouldfeelalmostasmuchathomewithmeaswheretheycomefrom。Imustmakelifepleasantforthem,ifIshouldhavethemgrowattachedtothenewdwelling。AndIhappentohavetheverythingforthem。
Undertheleadsofmyhouseisawidearch,thesidesofwhichgetthesun,whilethebackremainsintheshade。Thereissomethingforeverybody:theshadeforme,thesunlightformyboarders。Wefastenastouthooktoeachtileandhangitonthewall,onalevelwithoureyes。Halfmynestsareontheright,halfontheleft。Thegeneraleffectisratheroriginal。Anyonewalkinginandseeingmyshowforthefirsttimebeginsbytakingitforadisplayofsmokedprovisions,gammonsofsomeoutlandishbaconcuringinthesun。Onperceivinghismistake,hefallsintorapturesatthesenewhivesofmine。Thenewsspreadsthroughthevillageandmorethanonepokesfunatit。TheylookuponmeasakeeperofhybridBees:
’Iwonderwhathe’sgoingtomakeoutofthat!’saythey。
MyhivesareinfullswingbeforetheendofApril。Whentheworkisatitsheight,theswarmbecomesalittleeddying,buzzingcloud。Thearchisamuch-frequentedpassage:itleadstoastore-roomforvarioushouseholdprovisions。Themembersofmyfamilybullymeatfirstforestablishingthisdangerouscommonwealthwithintheprecinctsofourhome。Theydarenotgotofetchthings:theywouldhavetopassthroughaswarmofBees;andthen……lookoutforstings!
Thereisnothingforitbuttoprove,onceandforall,thatthedangerdoesnotexist,thatmineisamostpeaceableBee,incapableofstingingsolongassheisnotstartled。Ibringmyfaceclosetooneoftheclaynests,soasalmosttotouchit,whileitisblackwithMasonsatwork;Iletmyfingerswanderthroughtheranks,IputafewBeesonmyhand,IstandinthethickofthewhirlingcrowdandneveraprickdoIreceive。Ihavelongknowntheirpeacefulcharacter。TimewaswhenIusedtosharethecommonfears,whenIhesitatedbeforeventuringintoaswarmofAnthophoraeorChalicodomae;nowadays,I
havequitegotoverthoseterrors。Ifyoudonotteasetheinsect,thethoughtofhurtingyouwillneveroccurtoit。Attheworst,asinglespecimen,promptedbycuriosityratherthananger,willcomeandhoverinfrontofyourface,examiningyouwithsomepersistency,butemployingabuzzasheronlythreat。Letherbe:herscrutinyisquitefriendly。
Afterafewdemonstrations,myhouseholdwerereassured:all,oldandyoung,movedinandoutofthearchasthoughtherewerenothingunusualaboutit。MyBees,farfromremaininganobjectofdread,becameanobjectofdiversion;everyonetookpleasureinwatchingtheprogressoftheiringeniouswork。Iwascarefulnottodivulgethesecrettostrangers。Ifanyone,comingonbusiness,passedoutsidethearchwhileIwasstandingbeforethehangingnests,somesuchbriefdialogueasthefollowingwouldtakeplace:
’Sotheyknowyou;that’swhytheydon’tstingyou?’
’Theycertainlyknowme。’
’Andme?’
’Oh,you;that’sanothermatter!’
Whereupontheintruderwouldkeepatarespectfuldistance,whichwaswhatIwanted。