234 THE HUMBLE-BEE x 



drawing-room and, after closing the windows, opened 

 it. She soon took wing, and after circling round 

 the spot flew to the flowers on a geranium plant in 

 the window, and afterwards to an orange lily in a 

 vase. To the latter she paid particular attention, 

 hovering from floret to floret, dusting herself with 

 the pollen, and, with her tongue extended, rubbing 

 her dangling legs together. A queen humble- 

 bee is too heavy to dart about like a honey-bee, 

 and it was very pretty to watch her manoeuv- 

 ring skilfully and gracefully among the blossoms, 

 every turn executed with intelligence, delibera- 

 tion, and poise, accompanied by the loud musical 

 hum. 1 



She did not beat herself against the window- 

 panes like a humble-bee usually does that flies in 

 by accident through an open window ; this was 

 because she was not frightened and had her interests 

 in the room. Soon she be^an to search for her 

 nest ; I placed it near her and she ran in. Probably 

 it would be easy to train a humble-bee to rear her 

 young in a room or conservatory, 2 while allowing 

 her liberty of flight inside. 



10 a.m. The foster-mother was seen feeding 

 the larvae with liquid food from her mouth. The 

 sick queen had become weaker and crawled slowly 

 about in the lobby apparently oblivious of everything, 

 her only desire being to creep to the light. Her 



1 Edison has declared that man is not likely to gain complete mastery of 

 the air until he has learnt to imitate the flight of the humble-bee. 



2 Some years ago the remains of a populous nest of />'. lucorum was sent me 

 from the palm-house at Kew. 



