178 Bees. 



very moment be ^peeping out preparatory to issuing 

 from his hole. It is impossible not to pity the horses 

 in the ha3'fielcls on a sultry day ; despite all the care 

 taken, their nostrils are literally black with crowds of 

 flies, which constantly endeavor to crawl over the 

 ej^eball. Sunshine itself does not appear so potent 

 in bringing forth insects as the close electrical kind of 

 heat that precedes a thunderstorm. This is so well 

 known that when the flies are more than usually 

 busy the farmer makes haste to get in his hay, and 

 lets down the canvas over his rick. The cows give 

 warning at the same time by scampering about in the 

 wildest and most ludicrous manner — their tails held 

 up in the air — tormented by insects. 



The ha-ha wall, built of loose stones, is the home 

 of thousands upon thousands of ants, whose nests are 

 everywhere here, the ground being undisturbed by 

 passing footsteps. They ascend trees to a great 

 height, and may be seen going up the trunk some- 

 times in a continuous stream, one behind the other 

 in Indian file. 



In one spot on the edge of the ha-ha is a row of 

 beehives — the garden wall and a shrubbery shelter 

 them here from the north and east, and the drop of 

 the ha-ha gives them a clear exit and entrance. This 

 is thought a great advantage — not to have any hedge 

 or bush in front of the hives — because the bees, 

 heavily laden with honey or pollen, encounter no 

 obstruction in coming home. The}' are believed to 

 work more energetically when this is the case, and 

 they certainl}^ do seem to exhibit signs of annoyance, 

 as if out of temper, if they get entangled in a bush. 

 Indeed, if you chance to be pursued by an angry 



