COLOUR SENSE. 291 



In this respect the results of my observations on 

 bees entirely agreed with those on ants, and I will 

 here, therefore, only refer to what has been said in 

 a preceding chapter. 



The Colour Sense of Bees. 



The consideration of the causes which have led to 

 the structm-e and coloui'ing of flowers is one of the 

 most fascinating parts of natural history. Most botanists 

 are now agreed that insects, and especially bees, have 

 played a very important part in the development of 

 flowers. While in many plants, almost invariably with 

 inconspicuous blossoms, the pollen is carried from 

 flower to flower by the wind, in the case of almost all 

 large and brightly coloured flowers this is effected by 

 the agency of insects. In such flowers the colours, 

 scent, and honey serve to attract insects, while the size 

 and form are arranged in such a manner that the 

 insects fertilise them with pollen brought from another 

 plant. 



There could, therefore, be little doubt that bees 

 possess a sense of colour. Nevertheless I thought it 

 would be desirable to prove this if possible by actual 

 experiment, w^iich had not yet been done. Accordingly 

 on July 12 I brought a bee to some honey which 

 I placed on blue paper, and about 3 feet off I 

 placed a similar quantity of honey on orange paper. 

 After she had returned twice I transposed the 

 papers; but she returned to the honey on the blue 



