470 BEES AND FLOWERS. 



I will soon describe the wonderful implements AYliich the bees use in 

 the collection of their food, but first let me show how sagacious they 

 are in their visits to the flowers in search of it. According to the 

 observations of Bonnier and de Layens, the assignment of honey bees 

 to the various flowers varies considerably, but is always calculated. 

 Every morning each swarm sends out its scouts to explore the neigh- 

 borhood and to determine the proper plants and the places where they 

 grow. On the return of the advance guard great numl)ers of workers 

 go forth, some to collect pollen, others to pilfer for nectar. The ]:>rin- 

 ciple of the division of labor is observed perfectly, each toiler col- 

 lects one or other of the products exclusively, and almost always at 

 the same trip, at least, limits his visits to a single k'ind of flower. 

 Thus the work is done surely and rapidly. 



" Bees and bumblebees,'' says Darwin. " are good l)otanists, for they 

 know that varieties can show great differences in the color of their 

 flowers without ceasing to belong to the same species. I have fre- 

 quently seen drones fly straight fi'om a jilant of T>h-f(im.n}(R fraxlnella^ 

 usually all red, to a white variety; from a variety of Delphrnium ron- 

 solidd and of Pi'i inula rov'ft to one of an entirely different color; from 

 a dark pur])]e V'/ohi tncoloi' to a golden ^^ellow one, and in two species 

 of l^ajjaver from one varii'ty to anotlier of a very ditferent color. But 

 in this last case, some bees flew impartially to one or the other species 

 and acted as though the two were simj)le varieties." 



Innumerable observations of this kind have been made. As Dar- 

 win indicates, the insects i-ecognize at a distance the apjjearance of a 

 desired flower, and, without doubt, its perfume as well. As a result 

 of this instinct the lioneybee adapts itself to circumstances and 

 following the order of ilorescence, fre(|uently changes its field of 

 action. In the spring you find it visiting the few flowers then open, 

 especiall}^ the catkins. A little later it frequents the cherry trees, the 

 peach trees, and the pear trees; still later, when most of the corallas 

 are radiant, the Leguminosae, esjx'cially the l\ol)iuia, the ch)ver, and 

 sainfoin, are favorites. A])iarists recognize (liis faculty of choice as 

 an element to be considered in bee iveej)ing, and often take advan- 

 tage of it by cidtivating not far from the hives ]:)lants which are 

 covered with blossoms for a long t ime. 



The processes employed by the bees for getting at the desired sweets 

 are far from uniform. The lioneybee, whose mandibles are not over 

 strong, usually satisfies jiiuisell' by crawling into the corolla, the 

 Xylocopiclae do not put tliemselves to so uuich trouble; one stroke 

 of their powerful jaws lays bare the nectar. The mason bees and the 

 bumble-bees ol'li'n have recourse to the same rough method. Fre- 



