Bees and Grapes. 253 



beside the road when, to my surprise, I found it was fairly 

 decked with drops of honey. Upon further examination I 

 found the willow foliage was abundantly sprinkled by these 

 delicious drops. These shrubs were undisturbed by insects, 

 nor we-B they under trees. Here then was a real case of honey- 

 dew, rrhich must have been distilled through the night by the 

 leaves. I never saw any such phenomenon in Michigan, yet 

 others have. Dr. A. H. Atkins, an accurate and conscientious 

 observer, has noted this honey-dew more than once here in 

 Central Michigan. Many bee-keepers have noticed the same 

 thing. 



Many plants, like the Cotton and Cow Pea ("Fig. 124) of 

 the South, have extra floral glands which secrete nectar. In 

 case of the Cow .Pea these glands are on the peduncles or flow- 

 er stems, just at the base of the flowers (Fig. 124, a, a). 

 Prof. Trelese thinks that this nectar serves the plant by at- 

 tracting bees, wasps, etc. , which keep injurious insects from 

 attacking it. 



SWEET SAP AND JUICES. 



Bees often gather much nectar from the stubble of wheat 

 that is cu t early, while the straw is yet greenT The sap from 

 the maple~and other trees and plants also furnishes them 

 sweets. They gather juices of questionable repute from about 

 cider mills, some from grapes and other fruit which have been 

 crushed or eaten and torn by wasps and other insects. That 

 bees ever tear the grapes is a question of which I have failed 

 to receive any personal proof, though for years I have been 

 carefully seeking it. I have lived among the vineyards of 

 California, and have often watched bees about vines in Mich- 

 igan, but never saw bees tear open the grapes . I have laid 

 crushed grapes in the apiary, when the bees were not gather- 

 ing, and were ravenous for stores, which, when covered with 

 sipping bees, were replaced with sound grape-clusters, which 

 in no instance were mutilated. I have' even shut bees in emp- 

 ty hives on warm days and closed the entrance with grape 

 clusters, which even then were not cut. I have thus been led 

 to doubt if bees ever attack sound grapes, though quick to 

 improve the opportunities which the oriole's beak and the 

 stronger j? ws of wasps offer them. My friend Prof. Prentiss 

 suggests that when the weather is very warm and damp, and 



