112 



SIR J. LFBBOCK OJf ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 



green ; and so on successively on the orange, yellow, plain, and 

 red. I repeated tlie experiment a hundred times, using two 

 different hives, and spreading the observations over some time, so 

 as to experiment with different bees and under varied circum- 

 stances. Adding the numbers together, it of course follows that 

 the preference shown for each colour is inversely as the number 

 standing against it. 



I now subjoin the numbers, giving the first day in extenso : — 

 Plain 



Series. 



26 39 65 51 55 35 37 



In the next series of experiments the bees had been trained for 

 three weeks to come to a particular spot on a large lawn, by 

 placing from time to time honey on a piece of plain glass. This 

 naturally gave the plain glass a great advantage ; nevertheless, 

 as will be seen, the blue still retained its preeminence. It seems 

 hardly necessary to give the others in extenso. The following 

 table shows the general result : — 



No. of esp. Blue. Green. Orange. Plain. Eed. White. Yellow. 



100 275 427 440 491 413 349 405 



