iL* Trdiis. Acdil. Sci. uf St. Luuis 



k)iig weeks of experiiiR'iiting lie discovered and has con- 

 clusively shown that odors alone do not lead bees to 

 flowers, but that bees do res])ond to colors, and not only 

 tiiat, but also that they are capable ol' recognizing theiu 

 at a distiince. 



Not content with discovering that bees are capable of 

 recognizing colors, a year later he carried out in great 

 detail a series of experiments which j^roved that bees 

 can distiiignish between patterns. Here, too, he used 

 ingeniously devised paper boxes with various color 

 markings. ]Iis method was to inrinit a few bees to learn 

 that they could collect honey more easily from artifacts 

 of a certain color pattern, than they could from (lowers, 

 and after they had thoroughly learned this, to see if these 

 bees could select artifacts of this i)articular color ])at- 

 tern from a number of different color patterns. The 

 result of this investigation was the discovery that bees 

 can distinguish color patterns, and there is much in their 

 behavior to indicate that in their ability to distinguish 

 details they are near-sighted. This ability is of value 

 to them in recognizing plants that yield honey; and since 

 insects can distinguish colors and the fine details of color 

 patterns, there remains nothing in the visual powers of 

 bees to militate against the theory that the colors and 

 markings of flowers are adaptations which attract insect 

 visitors. 



Ill a woik on the beliavior of that marvel of tlio insect 

 world, the pit-making ant-lion (lai'\'a). Dr. Turner do- 

 scribes in detail its method of excavating the pit, which, 

 when completed, is a trap for insect prey. He explains 

 the method of the creature in capturing prey, whicli it 

 sucks dry with its hollow jaws; he tells of its various 

 reactions, which are i)robabIy ti()i>isms; how it is impos- 

 sible for the insect to move foi'ward, but in its backward 



