16 THE HUMBLE-BEE 



a 



during September, when the ground is often very dry 

 and warm. 



Although the young queens may sometimes be 

 seen flying in and out of the parent nest, I find that 

 the majority of them leave it for good on their first 

 day of flight ; and as they are only occasionally ob- 

 served gathering nectar from the flowers, I think 

 that many, having filled themselves with honey 

 before they leave the nest, become fertilised on the 

 same day and immediately afterwards seek their 

 winter quarters. 



During the first few weeks the queen sleeps 

 lightly, and if disturbed, for instance, by a visit 

 from an earwig, she wakes up, creeps out of her 

 burrow and flies away ; but when the weather grows 

 cold she folds her legs and bends as in death, 

 sinking into deep torpor, from which she is not 

 easily aroused. 



The period of torpor lasts about nine months. 

 Early species that commence sleeping in July, such 

 as B. pratorum, are astir as soon as March and 

 April, while later kinds wait until May and even 

 June. 



On sunny days in March the queens of pratonun, 

 terrestris, and other hardy species may be seen busily 

 rifling the peach-blossom, willow catkins, and purple 

 dead-nettle, but in the afternoon as the sun descends 

 and the air grows chilly they creep into hiding- 

 places, where they relapse into semi-torpor, remaining 

 in this condition until a favourable day again rouses 

 them into activity. 



