Exchanging the Nests 



arriving with her provisions, the Bee performs 

 a twofold operation of storing. First, she 

 dives head foremost into the cell, to disgorge 

 the contents of her crop; next, she comes out 

 and at once goes in again backwards, to brush 

 her abdomen and rub off the load of pollen. 

 At the moment when the insect is about to 

 enter the cell tail first, I push her aside gently 

 with a straw. The second act is thus pre- 

 vented. The Bee now begins the whole per- 

 formance over again, that Is to say, she once 

 more dives head first to the bottom of the 

 cell, though she has nothing left to disgorge, 

 as her crop has just been emptied. When this 

 is done, it is the belly's turn. I instantly push 

 her aside again. The insect repeats its pro- 

 ceedings, still entering head first; I also repeat 

 my touch of the straw. And this can go on 

 as long as the observer pleases. Pushed aside 

 at the moment when she Is about to Insert her 

 abdomen into the cell, the Bee goes back to 

 the opening and persists in going down head 

 first to begin with. Sometimes, she descends 

 to the bottom, sometimes only half-way, some- 

 times again she only pretends to descend, just 

 bending her head into the aperture; but, 

 whether completed or not, this action, for 

 71 



