136 NATURAL HISTORY AND 



These hives comprised the yellow "foggy" bee, 

 the small and large humble bee, and one hive of 

 red-hipped bees. In the evening we often re- 

 moved the thatching, and inspected the grubs and 

 honeycomb of the foggy bees' hives. Some were 

 much more cross and dangerous when disturbed 

 than their neighbours ; and it is a rule acted on 

 by schoolboys, that when wild bees hive under 

 ground, and they fail to reach them the first dig- 

 ging, it is useless to attempt a second, for the 

 swarm will remove or destroy the honey on the 

 first alarm from the spade. 



It is a curious fact that honey bees don't like 

 the flowers or heather of Tighnabruach. They 

 therefore fly across the Kyles to Bute and gather 

 honey there. In returning laden, however, they 

 are unable to recross the sea, and multitudes are 

 found drowned. There is no honey to be had in 

 Tighnabruach in consequence. They thrive well 

 in Bute, for, last summer, my boys took a hive in 

 the old tower of Kames Castle full of splendid 

 honey. 



Had more southern night-insects found their 

 way to the genial climate of Bute, they might 



