204 FIELD AND HEDGEROW. 
SOME APRIL INSECTS. 
A BLACK humble-bee came to the white hyacinths in 
the garden on the sunny April morning when the yellow 
tulip opened, and as she alighted on the flower there 
hovered a few inches in the rear an eager attendant, not 
quite so large, more grey, and hovering with the shrillest 
vibration close at hand. The black bee went round the 
other side of a bunch of hyacinths, and was hidden in 
the bell of a purple one, At thus temporarily losing 
sight of her, the follower, one might say, flew into a 
state of extreme excitement, and spun round and round 
in the air till he caught sight of her again and resumed 
his steady hovering. Then she went to the next bunch 
of hyacinths ; he followed her, when, with a furious, 
shrill cry of swiftly beating wings, a second lover darted 
down, and then the two followed the lady in black 
velvet—buzz, buzz, buzz, pointing like hounds stationary 
in the air—buzz, buzz—while she without a moment’s 
thought of them worked at the honey. By-and-by one 
rushed at her—a too eager caress, for she lost her 
balance and fell out of the flower on to the ground, 
Up she got and pursued him for a few angry circles, 
and then settled to work again. Presently the rivals 
darted at each other and whirled about, and in the 
midst of the battle off went the lady in velvet to another 
part of the garden, ard the combatants immediately 
rushed after her. Every morning that the tulip opened 
