302 ODD HOURS WITH NATURE 



the first big spadeful of roots and earth out came 

 a queen humble-bee. Her sleeping-quarters were 

 wrecked and ruined beyond recognition as the earth 

 fell away from the spade, but the lady herself was 

 most wonderfully fresh and clean. There was 

 not a stain on her velvet, and not a suggestion of 

 damp. For ten seconds she lay perfectly still 

 on her back, then her legs began slowly to move, 

 and in a minute's time she was sufficiently awake 

 to grasp a straw. But the most wonderful thing 

 about her was her power of affecting the spectator 

 with surprise. In all their associations the humble- 

 bees suggest glorious summer weather in the height 

 of July. They are seen, it is true, in May, but they 

 are not numerous then. In August they are getting 

 scarce again. July is pre-eminently their time, when 

 Nature is revealing herself in her most opulent 

 guise and the sun is flooding the world with light 

 and warmth. Then the great droning, velvet -clad 

 insects add a note to the summer day, so peculiar 

 to itself that the sound, well imitated, is capable 

 'of calling up visions of lush vegetation quivering 

 in a heat haze. And here was one actually buzzing 

 on its back on the chill earth on a December 

 afternoon. One felt for a moment that a trick 

 had been played with the grand order of things, 

 or that there is something of a trick or a deception 

 in the order itself. I made a nest for the dis- 

 turbed sleeper, put her into it, and buried her 

 up, and only hope she will get out when the right 

 time for waking up comes round. 



Hibernation is very exceptional among the 

 mature insects as a way of getting through the 



