64 NATURAL HISTORY 



or later into their winter- quarters ; but if the autumn is cold and wet, 

 we find no humble-bees flying about in the latter end of September. 

 In the autumn of 1791 I found the humble-bee but little abroad; and 

 on the 28th of August, in digging a bank, we found a large humble-bee 

 about a foot beyond the surface of the declivity. It appeared at first 

 dull and inactive, but when held in the hand and was warmed, it flew 

 away. The weather had been showery, cold and windy for some time. 

 I conclude that this bee had taken up its winter residence, for it could 

 not have any home to go to. They remain in those places through the 

 winter; but most probably not one in a hundred live through the winter, 

 especially if the season is either severe or wet. 



Of the Time when they come forth. — They continue in their winter- 

 quarters till the weather becomes warm, which is in the spring ; how- 

 ever, they sometimes come forth in good weather in the winter, but go 

 to rest again most probably when the evening grows cold. About the 

 beginning of January 1787 a humble-bee was found in the grass very 

 weak ; it was brought in and put under a cover, but it died. On the 

 15th of the same month another was picked up, which was a large 

 queen, and very lively ; that was also put under a cover, but it slowly 

 became weaker, and on the 20th of February it died ; it had no fat in 

 its belly. It is probable that those that came forth so early had not 

 provided for themselves sufficiently in the autumn with a store of fat, 

 and were obliged to come forth in hopes of food. In March I found a 

 humble-bee in a forcing-house, on the flower of a Persian lilac ; it had 

 come in at one of the windows, and was probably drawn there by the 

 scent of the flowers. It was a large female or queen. It had a quantity 

 of granulated fat in the abdomen, but not so oily as in the autumn. 

 About the middle of April, when the apricot and peach blooms are come 

 forth, then we find humble-bees ; but this depends on the season, for 

 in the spring of 1790, after a very mild winter, as also a mild spring, 

 when the apricot and peach blossoms were blown before the middle of 

 March, we then had the humble-bees flying abroad. About the latter 

 end of March or beginning of April the humble-bee is seen flying about. 

 At this early season we find them on tbe blossoms of trees, &c, but only 

 sucking for their immediate food, as they have not yet fixed on places 

 for their hives. At about the beginning of May they fly about, and 

 near to the ground, then lighting upon it, creeping upon the earth, and 

 going into the holes of walls : these are in search of proper places for 

 their summer residences for propagation. Such bees are all females, 

 and of the largest size, but they do not seem to be at this time ready 

 for propagation, for we seldom find an}- hives till May. 



In their times of propagation they are not so regular as the common 



