198 REPLY TO OBJECTIONS. 



by the color. So far, then, from weakening my con- 

 clusions, the fact, so far as it goes, tends to strengthen 

 them, because it shows that notwithstanding this 

 tendency the blue was preferred, and the honey on 

 colorless glass neglected. The legitimate conclusion 

 to be drawn seems, I confess, to me, not that my mode 

 of observation was faulty, but rather that the pre- 

 ference of the bees for particular colors is even some- 

 what greater than the numbers would indicate. 



Next, Dr. Miiller objects that when disturbed from 

 one drop of honey, the bees naturally would, and that 

 in his experiments they actually did, fly to the next. 

 As a matter of fact, however, this did not happen in 

 mine, because, to avoid this source of error, when I 

 removed the color I gave the bee a good shake, and so 

 made her take a flight before settling down again. 



According to my experience, bees differ considerably 

 in character, or, I should rather perhaps say, in humour. 

 Some are much shyer and more restless than others. 

 When disturbed from the first drop of honey, some are 

 much longer before they settle on the next than others. 

 Much also, of course, depends on how long the bee has 

 been experimented on. Bees, like men, settle down to 

 their work. Moreover, it is no doubt true that, ceteris 

 paribus, a bee in search of honey will go to the nearest 

 source. 



But, as a matter of fact, in my hundred experiments 

 I had but very few cases like those quoted above from 

 Dr. Miiller. This arose partly from the fact that my 

 bees were frequently changed, and partly because, as 

 already mentioned, I took care, in removing the color, 

 to startle the bee enough to make her take a little 

 flight before alighting again. Dr. Miiller says that in 



