BEES AND WASPS — GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. 189 



•^Mr. Wildman, whose remarks on the management of 

 bees are well known, possessed a secret by which he could 

 at any time cause a hive of bees to swarm upon his head, 

 shoulders, or body, in a most surprising manner. He has 

 been seen to drink a glass of wine with the bees all over 

 his head and face more than an inch deep ; several fell 

 into the glass, but did not sting him. He could even 

 act the part of a general with them, by marshalling them 

 in battle array on a large table. Then he divided them 

 into regiments, battalions, and companies, according to 

 military discipline, waiting only for his word of command. 

 The moment he uttered the word march I they began to 

 march in a very regular manner in rank and file, like 

 soldiers. To these, his Lilliputians, he also taught so 

 much politeness that they never attempted to sting any 

 of the numerous company which, at different times, re- 

 sorted to admire this singular spectacle." 



Huber's observation, since amply confirmed, of bees 

 biting holes through the base of corollas in order to get 

 at the honey which the length of the corollas prevent 

 them from reaching in the ordinary way, also seems to 

 indicate a rational adjustment to unusual circumstances. 

 For the bees do not resort to this expedient until they 

 find from trial that they cannot reach the nectar from 

 above ; but having once ascertained this, they forthwith 

 proceed to pierce the bottoms of all the flowers of the 

 same species. From an interesting account by Mr. 

 Francis Darwin ^ (unfortunately too long to quote) it 

 appears that, even when the nectar may be reached from 

 above, bees may still resort to the expedient of biting 

 through corollas in order to save time. 



In connection with biting holes in corollas I may quote 

 an observation communicated to me by a correspondent, 

 Sir J. Clarke Jervoise. Speaking of a humble-bee, he 

 says : ' I watched him into the flower of a foxglove, and, 

 when out of sight, I closed the lips of the flower with my 

 finger and thumb. He did not hesitate a moment, but 

 cut his way out at the further end as if he had been 

 served the same trick before. I never did it.' 

 * JVature, ix., p. 189. 



