470 BEES AND FLOWERS. 



lAvill soon (losoribo tluMvondorfiil implements Avliicli the bees use in 

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

 arc 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. 

 Everv 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 numbers of workers 

 go forth, some to collect pollen, others to pilfer for nectar. The prin- 

 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 kind of floAver. 

 Thus the work is done surely and rapidly. 



" Bees and l)umblebees," says Darwin. " are good botanists, for they 

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

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

 quently seen drones fly straight from a ])lant of Dutamnus fraxmeUa^ 

 usually all reef, to a white variety; from a variety of Delphinmm ron- 

 soVt(la\\w\ of Pi'hmila reris to one of an entirely ditferent color; from 

 a dark ]:)urp]e ]^!(>J(i ti'/rolor to a golden yellow one, and in two species 

 of Papaver from one variety to another of a very different color. But 

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

 and acted as though the two were simple varieties.'' 



Innumerable ol)servations of this kind haA^e been made. As Dar- 

 win indicates, the insects recognize at a distance the appearance of a 

 desired flower, and, without doul)t, its perfume as well. As a result 

 of this instinct the honeybee adapts itself to circumstances and 

 following the order of florescence, frequently changes its field of 

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

 especially 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, especially the Robinia, the clover, and 

 sainfoin, are favorites. Apiarists recognize this faculty of choice as 

 an element to be considered in bee keeping, and often take advan- 

 tage of it l)y cultivating not far from the hives i)lants which are 

 covered with blossoms for a long time. 



The ]u-()cesses employed by the bees for getting at the desired sweets 

 are fai- from iiiiil'onii. The honeybee, whose mandibles are not over 

 strong, usually satisfies himself by crawling into the corolla, the 

 Xylocopidae do not put themselves to so much trouble; one stroke 

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

 bumble-l)ees often have recourse to the same rough method. Fre- 



