482 BEES AND FLOWERS. 



than tlu'ir llowers. IIoAvi'Vor, the vastly y,reater fiTqueiicy with 

 Avhich these perfumes are found in flowers leads one to admit that the 

 theory of the English authors has at least a great degree of proba- 

 bility. In any case no one will deny that the perfume in flowers does 

 attract insects, especially the honeybee. 



Still more evident is the attraction of the colors in flowers. Who has 

 not seen bees flying through the fields choosing the favorite flowers and 

 disdaining all others? Numbers of cases have been cited in which 

 the bee evidently associated the notion of color with the idea of booty, 

 and in which the tints of the floAvers alone served him as a guide. 



I would not dwell on this question had not two eminent naturalists, 

 Gaston Bonier and Plateau, denied " that, all other things being 

 equal, brilliant colors in preference to those of duller shade attract 

 insects." Plateau covered a dahlia, little by little, with green leaves 

 and observed that the bees continued their visits to the flowers in spite 

 of their green color. Monsieur Forel tried the same experiment by 

 pinning green leaves over twenty-eight out of fifty-three flowers of 

 various colors displayed in the same basket. He found that the bees 

 innnediately ceased visiting the covered ones (and neglected them for 

 two hours until one bee discovered the stratagem), and within a short 

 time the}' were visited like the free blossoms. '' Plateau, therefore, 

 has exjjerimented badly and drawn false conclusions," says Monsieur 

 Forel. '' When he covered his dahlias he covered them slowly and 

 only on top. The l)ees ])erceived the trick and could still see the sides 

 of the dahlias. Plateau had failed to reckon with the memory and 

 the attention of the bees." 



Gaston Bonnier experimented differently. On a smooth bit of 

 green turf about 20 m. from some hives he placed a row of rectan- 

 gles about 2 m. apart. These l)locks, measuring 22 by 12 cm., Avere 

 red, green, white, or ^h^IIow, and all daul)ed with the same quality of 

 hone}^ They were impartially visited by the bees, Avith apparently a 

 slight preference for tlie green. In considering this experiment one 

 should not forget that there Avas absolutely no reason Avhy bees 

 absorbed in the search of nectar or pollen should A'isit these great 

 coloi'ed rectangles Avhich in noAvise reseml)led floAvers of any kind. 



Monsieur Forel introduced into a basket of dahlias a numl)er of 

 large artificial floAvers in the heai't of Avhich he ])laced a bit of honey. 

 The bees Avere salisfuMl with the daldias until one of their number 

 Avandered into the artilirial flowers. As he repeated his trip he was 

 imitated by others until the dahlias wove deserted and aJl the imita- 

 tions Avere visited except those colored green; this continued cA^en 

 Avhen the artificial floAvers had been despoiled of their honey. All the 

 l)riHiant imitation attracted the bees; all of the green ones Avere 

 unnoticed. Uut, in drawing his (h'duci ions, I believe Forel is Avrong 

 m not ascribing to f)ees a keen enough pci-cej)tion of odors; he forgets. 



