The Life of the Bee 
work. Five thousand of the sturdiest will 
sally forth to the lime-trees, while three 
thousand juniors go and refresh the white 
clover. Those who yesterday were absorb- 
ing nectar from the corollas will to-day 
repose their tongue and the glands of their 
sac, and gather red pollen from the migno- 
nette, or yellow pollen from the tall lilies; 
for never shall you see a bee collecting 
or mixing pollen of a different colour or 
species, and indeed one of the chief pre- 
occupations of the hive is the methodical 
bestowal of these pollens in the store-rooms 
in strict accordance with their origin and 
colour. Thus does the hidden genius issue 
its commands. The workers immediately 
sally forth, in long black files, whereof each 
one will fly straight to its allotted task. 
‘“The bees,” says de Layens, ‘“ would seem 
to be perfectly informed as to the locality, 
the relative melliferous value, and the dis- 
tance of every melliferous plant within a 
certain radius from the hive. 
“If we carefully note the different 
directions in which these foragers fly, and 
observe in detail the harvest they gather 
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