The Life of the Bee 



sand of the sturdiest will sally forth to the 

 lime trees, while three thousand juniors go 

 and refresh the white clover. Those who 

 yesterday were absorbing nectar from the 

 corollas will to-day repose their tongue 

 and the glands of their sac, and gather red 

 pollen from the mignonette, or yellow 

 pollen from the tall lilies ; for never shall 

 you see a bee collecting or mixing pollen 

 of a different colour or species ; and indeed 

 one of the chief pre-occupations of the 

 hive is the methodical bestowal of these 

 pollens in the store-rooms, in strict accord- 

 ance with their origin and colour. Thus 

 does the hidden genius issue its commands. 

 The workers immediately sally forth, in 

 long black files, whereof each one will 

 fly straight to its allotted task. "The 

 bees," says De Layens, "would seem 

 to be perfectly informed as to the lo- 

 cality, the relative melliferous value, 

 and the distance of every melliferous 

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