24 -^ Modem Bee-Farm 



generally assisted by an older bee in removing the filmy skin 

 from its body, and after two or three days it goes out for a cleansing 

 flight at the warmest part of the day, at the time many others are 

 having an airing and taking stock of their surroundings. 



Our little friend gets stronger daily, and, soon after the 

 seventh day we find her coming home with a lump of pollen on 

 each back leg, in what are called the pollen-baskets, being hollow 

 parts in the legs, with strong hair so overhanging that the load 

 cannot fall. She enters the hive, travels up the comb to near 

 the margin of the brood nest, and after finding a convenient cell, 

 in which quite likely pollen has already been deposited, she 

 pushes off her load with the middle legs, which Cheshire has 

 shown have a peculiar instrument adapted to the purpose, and 

 which is passed down the hollow behind the pollen, and thus it 

 is forced off into the cell. The bee will then turn round 

 and entering the cell, presses the pellets down into a thin layer, 

 where probably many such are already placed, varying in colour 

 according to the nature of the plant they may have been gathered 

 from. It is well-known that the bee nearly always confines itself 

 to one kind of flower when out foraging, hence its load of honey 

 is of one kind only and the pollen is of one colour ; the bee- 

 keeper may therefore frequently tell what his bees are working 

 upon by carefully noting the colour being brought in. Thus 

 mustard gives yellow pollen; white clover, brown; red clover, 

 dark brown ; sanfoin, brown ; willow, yellow ; furze, dark orange ; 

 dandelion, bright orange; apple blossom, light yellow; poppy, 

 black; blackberry, greenish white; while the various garden 

 flowers give every conceivable shade. 



It is but seldom that a bee gathers a large load of both 

 pollen and honey on one and the same journey. A pollen 

 gatherer will have little honey, while those carrying the most 

 honey, will seldom stay for a particle of pollen, more than what 

 may be brushed into the honey as collected. The pellets are 

 brought in most freely up till ii a.m. while everything is moist 

 from the dew of night; or at any time, immediately after a 

 shower, if warm. The honey sources of the day are about dried 



