No. 538] 



THE BEHAVIOR OF BEES 



019 



At (c) control. A perfect cotton blossom pinned in 

 position. 



Although strikingly unlike a cotton blossom in color 

 and general appearance, the convolvulus blossom at- 

 tracts attention quite as often. It is hardly to be ex- 

 pected that the bees would enter it as frequently as a 

 cotton blossom, if at all, since it is a well-known habit of 

 many bees to confine their visits pretty constantly at 

 any one time to blossoms of the same species of plant. 

 Especially has this been shown true for the honey bee 

 by Hermann Miiller and others. M. H. Mendleson, of 

 California, affords an instance where a single colony out 

 of 200 visited solely mustard flowers, while the rest 

 gathered from sage blossoms alone. 2 



Experiment No. 15.— July 28. Time of observation 

 one half hour, from 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. Blossoms ar- 

 ranged in the same row as before with the following 

 changes : 



At (a) petals removed from the blossoms of preced- 

 ing experiment. 



At (b) same white convolvulus blossom used in the 

 preceding experiment. 



At (c) control. Same cotton blossom of preceding 

 experiment pinned in position. 



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By the removal of the petals of a cotton blossom a> at 



