DRONE-FLIES. 197 



that exists in insects. These drone-flies do not 

 appear to be at all unhappy in captivity, they 

 become so tame as to come on my finger and 

 accept any suitable food placed there, and after 

 they have been flying about they will walk into 

 their globe as if perfectly content to abide in it. 

 Not so the honey- bee. A specimen was on the 

 window-pane one very wet and stormy day, and 

 fearing it would die if I let it out of doors I 

 introduced it among the drone-flies. They, good, 

 easy-going creatures, were quite friendly towards 

 the stranger, but the poor bee could not settle down 

 it fussed all day up and down the glass, despised 

 the sweet provender, and, fretting, I supposed, 

 at its absence from the community, was found 

 dead next morning. 



One day in January I gathered a spray of sweet- 

 scented coltsfoot in flower, and placing it in a 

 glass of water, enjoyed its delicious perfume. 

 Supposing it might contain some honey and prove 

 acceptable to the drone-flies, I let them investigate 

 the flower, with the result that they speedily be- 

 came covered with its white pollen. I feared this 

 might clog their yellow down, and was about to 



