92 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



thighs : these baskets are surrounded by stouter hairs which 

 hold the load in its place. 



When the bee returns with pollen, she often makes a sin- 

 gular, dancing or vibratory motion, which attracts the atten- 

 tion of the other bees, who at once nibble away from her 

 thighs what they want for immediate use ; the rest she de- 

 posits in a cell for future need, where it is carefully packed 

 down, and often sealed over with wax. 



It has been Observed that a bee, in gathering pollen, al- 

 ways confines herself to the same kind of flower on which 

 she begins, even when that is not so abundant as some 

 others. Thus if you examine a ball of this substance taken 

 from her thigh, it is found to be of one uniform color 

 throughout : the load of one will be yellow, another red, 

 and a third brown ; the color varying according to that of 

 the plant from which it was obtained. It is probable that 

 the pollen of different kinds of flowers would not pack so 

 well together. It is certain that if they flew from one 

 species to another, there would be a much greater mixture 

 of different varieties than there now is, for they carry on 

 their bodies the pollen or fertilizing principle, and thus aid 

 most powerfully in the impregnation of plants. 



This is one reason why it is so difficult to preserve pure, 

 the different varieties of the same vegetables whose flowers 

 are sought by the bee. 



He must be blind indeed, who will not see, at every step 

 in the natural history of this insect, the plainest proofs of 

 the wisdom of its Creator. 



I cannot resist the impression that the tioney bee was 

 made for the especial service and instruction of man. At 

 first the importance of its products, when honey was the 

 only natural sweet, served most powerfully to attract his 

 attention to its curious habits ; and now since the cultivation 



