POLLEN. 83 



The mode of gathering pollen is very .interesting. The 

 body of the bee appears to the naked eye to be covered 

 with fine hairs, to which, when she alights 'on a flower, the 

 farina adheres. With her legs, she brushes it from her 

 body, and packs it in the hollows, or baskets, one of which 

 is on each of her thighs ; these baskets are surrounded by 

 stouter hairs, which hold the load in its place. If from 

 any cause the pollen cannot be readily gathered in balls, 

 the bee will often roll herself in it, and return, all dusted 

 over, to her hive. 



When the bee brings home a load of pollen, she often 

 shakes her body in a singular manner, to attract the atten- 

 tion of other bees, who nibble from her thighs what 

 they want for immediate use; the rest she stores away 

 for future need, by inserting her body hi a cell and brush- 

 ing it from her legs; it is then carefully packed down, 

 being often covered with honey, and sealed over with 

 wax. Pollen is very rarely deposited in any except 

 worker-cells. 



Aristotle observed, that a bee, in gathering pollen, con- 

 fines herself to the kind of blossom on which she begins, 

 even if it is not so abundant as some others ; thus a ball 

 of this substance taken from her thigh, is found to be of 

 a uniform color throughout ; the load of one insect being 

 yellow, of another, red, and of a third, brown ; the color 

 varying with that of the plant from which the supply was 

 obtained. They may prefer to gather a load from a single 

 species of plant, because the pollen of different kinds does 

 not pack so well together. Bees, by carrying the pollen 

 or fertilizing substance of plants, on their bodies, from 

 blossom to blossom, contribute essentially to their impreg- 

 nation. 



Though the importance of pollen has long been known, 

 it is only of late that any attempts have been made to 



