230 THE LORE OF THE HONEY-BEE 
when the supply is exhausted for the day ; which 
is another sidelight on honey-bee economics. 
To follow the bees through their honey-harvesting 
season is to review nearly the whole year’s natural 
growth and life. In southern England the earliest 
nectar is drawn from the willows, which come into 
flower with late March, but hold back their sweets 
until the first spate of fine hot weather comes flood- 
ing in the track of the chilly northern gales. Of 
willow-honey there may be much or little, accord- 
ing to the night-temperatures. Generally it goes 
by fits and starts. For a day or two here and 
there the trees may be crowded with bees, or they 
may be deserted for weeks together. Whenever 
the sun shines, indeed, the trees that stand up like 
torches of gold in the misty purple of budding 
woods, are always full of the singing multi- 
tude; but these are only the pollen-gatherers. 
The nectar-bearing willows are far less showy. 
Their catkins are small, tight-girt tassels of green, 
and when a warm night has brought them into 
profit, they attract all the noisy minstrels for miles 
round. Bee-keepers generally seem to leave the 
willows out of their calculations as a source of 
honey, but in riverside districts, and in favourable 
seasons, they are not to be overlooked. It some- 
times happens that April comes in with a succes- 
sion of mild sunny days and warm nights, and then 
the hives may suddenly overflow with willow- 
honey. When the yellow catkins fade out of sight, 
the willows are apt to fade out of memory; and it 
