24 o THE HUMBLE-BEE 



observations on this nest, and I frequently watched 

 the workers dispose of their loads. 



On July 20, for instance, I saw a worker cross 

 the room with a full load of pollen. After she had 

 entered the nest I lifted off the cover and saw that 

 the queen took great notice of her, stretching across 

 to her and stroking the pollen with her antennae. 

 Other workers also showed pleasure and interest in 

 the new arrival, or, as I think more likely, her 

 pollen, and as she went about searching for a cell 

 she produced quite a stir amongst her immediate 

 companions. She buried her head into a pollen cell, 

 then, finding it satisfactory, stepped forward and 

 rubbed the two pellets off her legs into it. Another 

 worker at once dived into the cell and spread the 

 pollen in it. 



At 1.45 p.m., the weather having become rainy 

 and windy, a worker was seen busily working back- 

 wards and forwards between the nest and a honey- 

 bees' comb of honey that was lying on a lower shelf 

 of the same table, not a bad occupation for a wet 

 afternoon ! At 4.50 p.m. she was still busy at this, 

 and timing her, I found that she took 1 min. 25 

 sees, to find the comb this was probably because 

 the room was rather dark and 4 mins. 50 sec. to 

 fill herself, then she flew straight to the nest. Here 

 she remained 2J,- mins. On the next journey f min. 

 was spent in looking for the comb, and 4 mins. in 

 filling herself. Three minutes later she appeared 

 again ; this time she Hew straight to the comb and 

 took 4^ minutes to fill herself. 



