226 THE HUMBLE-BEE 



of the table-cloth waving in the wind. Frequently 

 she was seen entering her hole heavily laden with 

 pollen. On June 15 the tea-party was larger than 

 usual, and when the queen arrived on the scene she 

 circled about for a few seconds regarding the com- 

 pany, then she went straight into her hole. At dusk, 

 when she could not see the way in, I sometimes saw 

 her raise herself above the grass and take her bear- 

 ings from the white wooden cover ; with this in 

 sight she flew to the entrance and let herself drop 

 into it. 



On June 16, at 11. 15 a.m., the queen being out, I 

 lifted the cover and examined the nest. Like most 

 of my other queens this one had ignored a little 

 cavity I had made in the centre of the nest material, 

 and had formed her nest on the top of the material. 

 It consisted of fine material, neatly woven together, 

 with the entrance at the side. The honey-pot, only 

 as yet half its full size, was situated as usual in the 

 entrance, and I could see the honey glistening in it. 

 I separated the little nest from the rest of the nest 

 material, which had become damp, and placed it on 

 some fresh dry material, underneath which I had laid 

 a disc of tin. I also removed all the slugs and 

 centipedes I could find in the cavity, and I cleared 

 the tunnel with a stick, killing two slugs in doing so. 

 Scarcely was this finished when the queen returned, 

 and although I got my garden boy to wave his arms 

 to frighten her off, and both he and I then stooped 

 down over the nest, she took no notice of us, but, 

 seeing her hole, steered straight for it and went in. 



