82 THE HUMBLE-BEE 



IV 



The bird after catching the bee picks a hole in its 

 abdomen, enjoys the honey it has eaten, and then 

 drops the quivering body, which falls to the ground. 

 He once had the opportunity of seeing the slaughter 

 going on, and was able to detect the great tit as the 

 murderer. 1 



Lastly, man himself must be reckoned among the 

 enemies both of the humble-bee and its nest, and the 

 humble-bees share the distrust of him that is uni- 

 versal among wild animals. One is reminded of 

 Titania's injunction to the fairies in the Midsummer 

 Night's Dream : 



The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees ; 

 And for night tapers crop their waxen thighs, 

 And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes ; 



and of the request that Bottom, later on in the play, 

 makes to Cobweb to " kill me a red-hipped humble- 

 bee, and, good monsieur, bring me the honey-bag." 

 It may be remarked that it is not necessary to kill 

 a humble-bee to obtain its honey, for it can be made 

 to disgorge it by pressure on the abdomen from 

 behind. 



1 Wild Bees, Wasps, and Ants, by E. Saunders. (Routledge, 1907.) 



