10 



BEHAVIOR OF HONEY BEE IN POLLEN COLLECTING. 



^g--Femiir 



Corbicula 



THE POLLEN SUPPLY. 



When bees collect pollen from flowers they may be engaged in this 

 occupation alone or may combine it with nectar gathering. From 

 some flowers the bees take only nectar, from others only pollen; a 



third class of flowers furnishes 

 an available supply of both of 

 these substances. But even 

 where both pollen and nectar 

 are obtainable a bee may 

 gather nectar and disregard 

 the pollen. This is well illus- 

 trated by the case of white 

 clover. If bees are watched 

 while working upon clover 

 flowers, the observer will soon 

 perceive some which bear pol- 

 len masses upon their hind 

 legs, while others will continue 

 to visit flower after flower, 

 dipping into the blossoms and 

 securing a plentiful supply of 

 nectar, yet entirely neglecting 

 the pollen. 



The supply of pollen which 

 is available for the bees varies 

 greatly among different flow- 

 ers. Some furnish an abun- 

 dant amount and present it to 

 the bee in such a way that 

 little difficulty is experienced 

 in quickly securing an ample 

 load, while others furnish but 

 little. When flowers are small 

 and when the bee approaches 

 them from above, little, if any, 

 pollen is scattered over the 

 bee's body, all that it acquires 

 being first collected upon the 

 mouth and neighboring parts. 

 Very different conditions are 

 met with when bees visit such 

 plants as corn and ragweed. The flowers of these plants are pendent 

 and possess an abundant supply of pollen, which falls in showers over 

 the bodies of the bees as they crawl beneath the blossoms. The 



''lanfa 



Fig. 3. — Outer surface of the left hind leg. of a 

 worker bee. (Original.) 



