16 THE HUMBLE-BEE 1 
during September, when the ground is often very dry 
and warm. 
Although the young queens may sometimes be 
seen flying in and out of the parent nest, I find that 
the majority of them leave it for -good on their first 
day of flight; and as they are only occasionally ob- 
served gathering nectar from the flowers, I think 
that many, having filled themselves with honey 
before they leave the nest, become fertilised on the 
same day and immediately afterwards seek their 
winter quarters. 
During the first few weeks the queen sleeps 
lightly, and if disturbed, for instance, by a visit 
from an earwig, she wakes up, creeps out of her 
burrow and flies away ; but when the weather grows 
cold she folds her legs and bends as in death, 
sinking into deep torpor, from which she is not 
easily aroused. 
The period of torpor lasts about nine months. 
Early species that commence sleeping in July, such 
as B. pratorum, are astir as soon as March and 
April, while later kinds wait until May and even 
June. 
On sunny days in March the queens of pratorum, 
terrestvis, and other hardy species may be seen busily 
rifling the peach-blossom, willow catkins, and purple 
dead-nettle, but in the afternoon as the sun descends 
and the air grows chilly they creep into hiding- 
places, where they relapse into semi-torpor, remaining 
in this condition until a favourable day again rouses 
them into activity. 
