434: HABITS OF INSECTS. CIIAF. XI. 



attracted to the holes in the flowers of the Phaseolus 

 by the odour emitted from them. Did they perceive 

 the holes by the sense of touch in their proboscides, 

 whilst sucking the flowers in the proper manner, and 

 then reason that it would save them time to alight on 

 the outside of the flowers and use the holes? This 

 seems almost too abstruse an act of reason for bees ; 

 and it is more probable that they saw the humble-bees 

 at work, and understanding what they were about, 

 imitated them and took advantage of the shorter path 

 to the nectar. Even with animals high in the scale, 

 such as monkeys, we should be surprised at hearing 

 that all the individuals of one species within the 

 space of twenty-four hours understood an act per- 

 formed by a distinct species, and profited by it. 



I have repeatedly observed with various kinds 

 of flowers that all the hive and humble-bees which 

 were sucking through the perforations, flew to them, 

 whether on the upper or under side of the corolla, 

 without the least hesitation ; and this shows how 

 quickly all the individuals within the district had 

 acquired the same knowledge. Yet habit comes into 

 play to a certain extent, as in so many of the other 

 operations of bees. Dr. Ogle, Messrs. Farrer and 

 Belt have observed in the case of Phaseolus multiforus* 

 that certain individuals went exclusively to the per- 

 forations, while others of the same species visited 

 only the mouths of the flowers. I noticed in 1861 

 exactly the same fact with Trifolium pratense. So per- 

 sistent is the force of habit, that when a bee which is 

 visiting perforated flowers comes to one which has not 

 been bitten, it does not go to the mouth, but instantly 



* Dr. Ogle, ' Pop. Science Ee- Hist.' 4th series, vol. ii. 1868, p. 

 view,' April 1870, p. 167. Mr. 258. Mr. Belt in a letter to me. 

 Farrer, ' Annals and Mag. of Nat. 



