GENERAL HISTORY OF BEES. 51 



wind blow, or there be a still sultriness with even an 

 occasionally overcast sky, they are actively on the alert, 

 and extremely vivacious. They are made so possibly by 

 the operation of the influence upon their own system 

 conjunctively with the intensity of its action upon the 

 vegetable kingdom, and the secretions of the flowers 

 both odorous and nectarian. 



Bees do not seem to be very early risers, the influence 

 of the sun being their great prompter, and until that 

 grows with the progress of the morning they are not 

 numerously abroad. Early sometimes in the afternoon 

 some species wend homewards, but during the greatest 

 heat of the day they are most actively on the alert. 

 The numbers of individuals that are on the wing at 

 the same time must be astounding, for the inhabitants 

 of a single colony, where they may, perhaps, be called 

 semi-gregarious, from nidificating collectively within a 

 circumscribed space, can be computed by myriads. 

 And then the multitude of such colonies within even a 

 limited area ! When we add to this the many species 

 with the same productiveness ! Yet who, in walking 

 abroad, sees them but the experienced entomologist? 

 When we consider the important function they exercise 

 in the economy of nature, and that but for them, in the 

 majority of instances, flowers would expand their beau- 

 tiful blossoms in abortive sterility, we can but wonder at 

 the wise and exuberant provision which forecasts the 

 necessity and provides accordingly. But that even these 

 should not superabound, there is a counterbalance in 

 the numerous Enemies to which they are exposed. The 

 insectivorous animals, birds, among which there is one 

 especially their arch-enemy the bee-eater; those rep- 

 tiles which can reach them ; many insects in a variety 



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