a ATTRACTING QUEENS 115 
been saved had I understood better how to protect 
them; but the dangers to which they were exposed 
were often not realised, and the way to combat 
them not discovered and put into practice until too 
late. 
As the queen humble-bee works for nearly a 
month in all weathers, flying at all times of the day 
from early morning until dusk, I quite expected a 
considerable proportion of my queens to get lost, 
but I was pleased to find my fears almost ground- 
less, for in every case in which a queen possessing 
brood disappeared, except one, it was found that 
she had deserted her nest because of some accident 
to the brood. Indeed, humble-bee queens seem to 
bear a charmed life. Undoubtedly they are avoided 
by the majority of insect-feeding birds and animals, 
which must recognise them by their massive appear- 
ance, their striking colours, and, when flying, by 
their loud peculiar hum. The scent of the humble- 
bee is disliked by many animals, their instinct lead- 
ing them to flee from it ; as may be seen, for instance, 
if one presents a humble-bee to a dog, who will turn 
away in disgust, although he will readily snap at 
a fly. 
But there is no charm about the life of the 
humble-bee’s brood, the eggs being very much 
relished by ants, and the larve and pupz by mice 
and shrews. None of these enemies, so far as I 
have been able to observe, dares to attack the brood 
when the queen is in the nest. Here, if the queen 
is disturbed in the least, she warns the foe with loud 
