The Life of the Bee 
sand of the sturdiest will sally forth to the 
lime trees, while three thousand juniors go 
and refresh the white clover. Those who 
yesterday were absorbing nectar from the 
corollas will to-day repose their tongue 
and the glands of their sac, and gather red 
pollen from the mignonette, 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 accord- 
ance 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 lo- 
cality, the relative melliferous value, 
and the distance of every melliferous 
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