SOME APRIL INSECTS. 205 
its great yellow bell, these black humble-bees came, 
almost always followed by one lover, sometimes, as on 
the first occasion, by two. A bright row of polyanthus 
and oxlips seemed to be the haunt of the male bees. 
There they waited, some on the leaves and some on the 
dry clods heated by the sun, in ambush till a dark lady 
should come. The yellow tulip was a perfect weather- 
meter ; if there was the least bit of harshness in the air, 
the least relic of the east wind, it remained folded. 
Sunshine alone was not sufficient to tempt it, but the 
instant there was any softness in the atmosphere open 
came the bell, and as if by a magic key all the bees and 
humble-bees of the place were unlocked, and forth they 
came with joyous note—not to visit the tulip, which is 
said to be a fatal cup of poison to them. 
Any one delicate would do well to have a few such 
flowers in spring under observation, and to go out of 
doors or stop in according to their indications. I think 
there were four species of wild bee at these early flowers, 
including the great bombus and the small prosopis with 
orange-yellow head. It is difficult to scientifically 
identify small insects hastily flitting without capturing 
them, which I object to doing, for I dislike to interfere 
with their harmless liberty. They have all been named 
and classified, and I consider it a great cruelty to destroy 
them again without special purpose. The pleasure is to 
see them alive and busy with their works, and not to 
keep them in a cabinet. These wild bees, particularly 
the smaller ones, greatly resented my watching them, 
just the same as birds do. If I walked by they took no 
heed ; if I stopped or stooped to get a better view they 
were off instantly. Without doubt they see you, and 
have some idea of the meaning of your various motions. 
The wild bees are a constant source of interest, much 
