COLOUR SENSE. 291 
In this respect the results of my observations on 
bees entirely agreed with those on ants, and I will 
here, therefore, only refer to what has been said in 
a preceding chapter. 
The Colour Sense of Bees. 
The consideration of the causes which have led to 
the structure and colouring of flowers is one of the 
most fascinating parts of natural history. Most botanists 
are now agreed that insects, and especially bees, have 
played a very important part in the development of 
flowers. While in many plants, almost invariably with 
inconspicuous blossoms, the pollen is carried from 
flower to flower by the wind, in the case of almost all 
large and brightly coloured flowers this is effected by 
the agency of insects. In such flowers the colours, 
scent, and honey serve to attract insects, while the size 
and form are arranged in such a manner that the 
insects fertilise them with pollen brought from another 
plant. 
There could, therefore, be little doubt that bees 
possess a sense of colour. Nevertheless J thought it 
would be desirable to prove this if possible by actual 
experiment, which had not yet been done. Accordingly 
on July 12 I brought a bee to some honey which 
I placed on blue paper, and about 3 feet off I 
placed a similar quantity of honey on orange paper. 
After she had returned twice I transposed the 
papers; but she returned to the honey on the blue 
