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THE AMEEICj 



[LIST [Vol. XLIV 



Cerinthc major, Galropxis rrrsimlnr. Aslra<i«lus deprcssus, alpinus and 

 many other Papilionaceae. 2 



On the other hand, it is asserted by Plateau that all 

 natural flowers might be as green as their leaves without 

 their pollination by insects being compromised; 3 while 

 in the opinion of Bethe bees are mere reflex machines and 

 have no senses, or ability to make experiences and modify 

 by them their actions. 4 If either of these extreme claims 

 is admitted, it is evident that a variety of colors can be 

 of no benefit to flowers. It seems desirable, therefore, to 

 consider what experimental evidence is available to prove 

 that bees can distinguish ditferences in color. 



It was first shown by Lubbock (Lord Avebury) that 

 honey-bees can distinguish between ' ' artificial ' ' colors, 

 or slips of paper of different hues. An account of his 

 experiments is given at considerable length in his well- 

 known book on " Ants, Bees and Wasps but, as they 

 were performed more than thirty years ago, I shall de- 

 scribe a number of experiments made myself, in some of 

 which the conditions have been varied. I shall endeavor 

 to show not only that bees can distinguish between the 

 colors of papers, of flowers and of painted hives, but that 

 they .-an learn not to discriminate bet ween them, when this 

 is tor t heir advantage. Their behavior in detail will like- 

 wise be carefully recorded. 



On a pleasant September morning I accustomed a yel- 

 low (Italian) bee to visit a strip of blue paper 5 three 

 inches long by one inch wide. To prevent the paper from 

 blowing away or becoming soiled it was covered with a 



