IQ2 ODD HOURS WITH NATURE 



it only did this in a single flower. All the other 

 flowers on the spike visited by her were explored 

 at the felonious entrance. The inference is that 

 when once a honey-thief has pierced an easy 

 entrance to the nectary of a flower, even the 

 honestest bee will prefer the easy way. 



It is an old story now how when first the agri- 

 culturist of New Zealand introduced red clover 

 they failed to get seed off it. The crop grew 

 splendidly, but the flowers never matured, and for 

 each succeeding season the farmer had to get seed 

 imported from Europe. When the matter was 

 investigated it was found that none of the native 

 insects of New Zealand was qualified to fertilize 

 red clover. The honey in the flower of the red 

 clover is secreted at the base of the stamens, and 

 lies at the bottom of a tube from 9 to 10 mm. long. 

 In order to reach this honey in the legitimate 

 way, an insect must have a proboscis of the same 

 or greater length, and several of the humble-bees 

 are suitably equipped for the job. After these 

 had been imported and established in the country, 

 red clover did as well in New Zealand as in any 

 other land. 



It seems, however, that all the Bombi are not 

 equally useful. In two species of the family the 

 proboscis is less than 9 mm. long, and they are 

 unable to reach the honey of red clover legiti- 

 mately. In strict honesty they should refrain from 

 visiting clover-fields and stick to flowers that suit 

 their size. But clover is one of the very finest 

 of honey flowers, and when it is to be had at all 

 it is generally in vast abundance. It follows that 



