BEES AND FLOWERS 123 



rule pollen is only collected from one kind of 

 flower on a journey. Various observers have 

 examined hundreds of loads of pollen from forag- 

 ing bees, and in comparatively few cases have these 

 been of an assorted nature. 



From this habit of the bee it will be readily 

 seen how little pollen is wasted, for that taken 

 from one flower is almost sure to be carried to 

 one of a similar species. The bee likes to have 

 its pollen nicely packed away before going on to 

 another flower, and it is one of the prettiest of 

 nature's sights to see a bee collecting pollen. 

 Diving into the flower, it brushes and scrapes away 

 the pollen until it has as much as it can manipulate 

 comfortably, when it makes its way out. Passing 

 its forefeet to its mouth, it moistens the particles, 

 and then rapidly transfers them back to the pollen 

 basket, which is furnished with an ingenious 

 arrangement by which the pollen is tightly com- 

 pressed and made to adhere firmly. All the while 

 it is doing this, it supports itself almost motionless 

 in the air, its wings vibrating with a most joyful 

 hum. Having packed this lot away, it either 

 returns to the flower or passes to another one, 

 although some flowers yield enough for many 

 loads. I have noticed three or four bees working 

 on a single poppy almost all the morning. Poppies 

 contain enormous quantities of pollen, but it is 

 curious that bees only visit them in the morning. 

 Quite as early as five o'clock they will be at them, 



