HABITS AND INTELLIGENCE OF BEES 137 



light, beating about in a vain endeavour to get out. 



Bees do not seem to possess the feeUng of affection 

 or attachment ; even the respect for their queen 

 savours of the coldest utilitarianism, and when 

 through either accident or circumstances she ceases 

 to be of use to the colony for the one purpose for 

 which she is maintained, she is abandoned, or super- 

 seded, apparently without the slightest compunction 

 or regret by her so-called subjects. Bees never seem 

 to help eacti other in difficulty or distress, as is often 

 done by ants. If you hold a bee captive by the leg, 

 the others either take no notice of her struggles or 

 do not attempt in any way to assist her. If you go 

 further, and crush her to death, they quietly crowd 

 around, and, in the most callous fashion, show their 

 utter indifference by helping themselves to the sweet 

 juices expressed from the body of their unfortunate 

 companion. Yet if bees are fed regularly they often 

 exhibit a kind of selfish friendliness somewhat akin 

 to that displayed by the cats of the neighbourhood 

 towards the cat's-meat man on his round. During 

 several attempts which I have made to keep alive 

 during the winter the queens of colonies of humble- 

 bees, I have particularly noticed it in those bees. 



I first tried keeping the bees in little wooden boxes, 

 which I always opened at feeding time, allowing 

 the occupants to walk about for a little before putting 

 them back in their boxes. I was surprised to find 

 after a little time how the bees expected to be fed 

 when the boxes were opened, coming familiarly on 

 to my hand in search of food, and making themselves 

 quite at home. One royal princess I had who always 

 made such intelligent attempts to escape on these 

 occasions that I was obliged to discontinue the 



