240 THE HUMBLE-BEE x 
observations on this nest, and I frequently watched 
the workers dispose of their loads. 
On July 20, for instance, I saw a worker cross 
the room with a full load of pollen. After she had 
entered the nest I lifted off the cover and saw that 
the queen took great notice of her, stretching across 
to her and stroking the pollen with her antenne. 
Other workers also showed pleasure and interest in 
the new arrival, or, as I think more likely, her 
pollen, and as she went about searching for a cell 
she produced quite a stir amongst her immediate 
companions. She buried her head into a pollen cell, 
then, finding it satisfactory, stepped forward and 
rubbed the two pellets off her legs into it. Another 
worker at once dived into the cell and spread the 
pollen in it. 
At 1.45 pP.M., the weather having become rainy 
and windy, a worker was seen busily working back- 
wards and forwards between the nest and a honey- 
bees’ comb of honey that was lying on a lower shelf 
of the same table, not a bad occupation for a wet 
afternoon! At 4.50 p.m. she was still busy at this, 
and timing her, I found that she took 1 min, 25 
secs. to find the comb—this was probably because 
the room was rather dark—and 4 mins. 50 sec. to 
fill herself, then she flew straight to the nest. Here 
she remained 24 mins. On the next journey # min. 
was spent in looking for the comb, and 4 mins. in 
filling herself. Three minutes later she appeared 
again ; this time she flew straight to the comb and 
took 44 minutes to fill herself. 
