POLLEN AND THE BEE 153 
and form together a pearly-white fluid—veritable bee- 
milk—on which the young grubs thrive in an extra- 
ordinary way. 
There are few things more fascinating than to 
watch a hive of bees at work on a fine June morning, 
and to note how the pollen is carried in. With a 
prosperous stock, thousands of bees must pass within 
the space of a few minutes, each bee dragging behind 
her a double load of this substance. Very often, in 
addition to the half-globes of pollen which she carries 
on her thighs, the bee will be smothered in it from 
head to foot, as in gold-dust. If you track her into 
the hive, one curious point will be noted. No 
matter how fast she may go, or what frantic spirit 
of labour may possess the entire colony, the pollen- 
laden bee is never in a hurry to get rid of her load. 
She will waste precious time wandering over the 
crowded combs, continually shaking herself, as 
though showing off her finery to her admiring 
relatives; and it may be some minutes before she 
finally selects a half-filled pollen-cell and proceeds 
to kick off her load. The different kinds of pollen 
are packed into the cells indiscriminately, the bee 
using her head as a ram to press each pellet home. 
When the cell is full it is never sealed over with a 
waxen capping, as in the case of the honey-stores, 
but is left open or covered with a thin film of honey, 
apparently to preserve it from the air. The nurse- 
bees, who are the young workers under a fortnight 
old, help themselves from these pollen-bins. They 
also frequently stop a pollen-bearer as she hurries 
through the crowd, and nibble the pollen from her 
thighs. 
Throughout the season there is hardly an 
