At the moment of departure there was nothing special in the direction taken—nothing of that straight line to the nest which the Cerceris took in a like case. As soon as they were free the Chalicodoma fled scared—one in this direction, one to a completely opposite point; but, as far as their fiery flight allowed, I think I saw a rapid return of those bees which had flown in the wrong direction for their nests, and most seemed to go to that side of the horizon. I leave this point with the doubts unavoidable with regard to insects lost sight of at some twenty metres distance. So far the experiment had been favoured by calm weather, but now things grew complicated. The heat was stifling, and the sky grew stormy. Rather a strong wind rose, blowing from the south—the very direction which my bees should take to return home. Could they overcome this contrary current and cleave this aerial torrent with their wings? If they try it they must keep close to the ground, as I saw those Hymenoptera doing which continued to work, but it appeared out of the question to soar into the high regions where they might obtain a clear acquaintance with the surrounding country. It was therefore with great apprehension as to the success of my experiment that I returned to Orange after again trying to learn some secret from the bees on the Aygues pebbles. Hardly had I entered my house when I saw Aglaë, flushed with excitement. “Two,” she cried—“two came at twenty minutes to three, all laden with pollen!” A friend chanced to have come in—a grave legal personage, who, hearing what was on hand, forgot the Code and stamped paper, and insisted on also watching for the arrival of my homing pigeons. The result interested him more than did the lawsuit about the partition wall. In a Senegalian sun and furnace heat reflected from the wall, every five minutes did he mount the ladder bareheaded, with no other protection against sunstroke than his thick, gray locks. Instead of the single watcher whom I had posted I found two good pairs of eyes watching the bees’ return. I had freed them about two o’clock, and the first two returned to the nest at twenty minutes to three, so that three-quarters of an hour had sufficed for travelling four kilometres,—a very striking result, especially if we remember that the bees worked on the road, as was proved by the pollen on their bodies, and besides they must have been hindered by having the wind against them. Two more came back under my eyes, and they had signs of having worked on the way by their load of pollen. As it was growing late, observations could not be continued. When the sun goes down the mason bees leave the nest and take refuge I know not where—here and there—perhaps under roof tiles and in little shelters in walls. I could not count on the arrival of the others until work was resumed in full sunshine.