222 THE WONDERS OF INSTINCT 



or other is not beginning to open somewhere near the 

 hive. The droning of the busy swarms fills the flowery 

 vault, while a snow of petals falls softly to the foot of 

 the tree. 



Together with the population of harvesters there 

 mingles another, less numerous, of mere drinkers, whose 

 nesting-time has not yet begun. This is the colony of 

 the Osmiae, those exceedingly pretty solitary bees, with 

 their copper-colored skin and bright-red fleece. Two 

 species have come hurrying up to take part in the joys 

 of the almond-tree: first, the Horned Osmia, clad in 

 black velvet on the head and breast, with red velvet on 

 the abdomen ; and, a little later, the Three-horned Osmia, 

 whose livery must be red and red only. These are the 

 first delegates despatched by the pollen-gleaners to ascer- 

 tain the state of the season and attend the festival of the 

 early blooms. 



Tis but a moment since they burst their cocoon, the 

 winter abode : they have left their retreats in the crevices 

 of the old walls; should the north wind blow and set the 

 almond-tree shivering, they will hasten to return to them. 

 Hail to you, O my dear Osmia?, who yearly, from the 

 far end of the harmas, opposite snow-capped Ventoux, 1 

 bring me the first tidings of the awakening of the insect 

 world ! I am one of your friends ; let us talk about you 

 a little. 



Most of the Osmiae of my region do not themselves 

 prepare the dwelling destined for the laying. They want 



1 A mountain in the Provencal Alps, near Carpentras and Serig- 

 nan, 6,271 ft. — Translator's Note. 



