Horticulture. 



524 



December, 1909. 



As a general rule, one or two years' 

 old seedlings will be found to be the 

 best for transplanting, and older trees 

 should be used only where for some 



reason it is necessary or urgent to 

 secure results, as the expense of hand- 

 ling larger trees is considerable, and 

 the chances of success are smaller. 



APICULTURE. 



THE COLOUR SENSE OP THE 

 HONEY-BEE. 



Some Original Work Showing how 

 the Bees seem to Favour Blue. 



By John H. Lovell. 



(From the Gleanings in Bee Culture, 

 Vol. XXXVII., No. 17, September 1, 

 1909,) 



It has been Avell established by experi- 

 ment that the honey-bee can distinguish 

 between colours. Instead of describing 

 the experiment as performed by Lord 

 Avebury (Lubbock), let me give some 

 that I conducted along the same plan, 

 and, I am glad to say, with even more 

 conclusive results. 



On a pleasant September morning 

 I accustomed a yellow (Italian) bee to 

 visit a strip of blue paper three inches 

 long by one inch wide. To prevent the 

 paper from blowing away or becoming 

 soiled it was covered with a transpar- 

 ent glass slide of the same dimensions, 

 upon the centre of which a small quan- 

 tity of honey was placed. These slides 

 are used for mounting microscopic 

 objects, and may be obtained of any 

 dealer in optical instruments for a 

 trifling sum. 



After the bee had made a number of 

 visits to the blue paper, a red slide of 

 the same dimensions, and prepared as 

 described above was placed six inches 

 to the right of it. An equal quantity 

 of honey was also placed upon the 

 centre of the slide. When the bee 

 returned from the hive it alighted on 

 the blue slide, which still remained in 

 its original position. 



On the departure of the bee for the hive 

 the slides were transposed, i.e., the red 

 put in the place of blue, and the blue 

 Avhere the red had been. When the bee 

 returned, and no longer found the blue 

 paper in its usual position, it flew back 

 and forth, examining both slides, paused 

 for a second or two on the red, then 

 resumed its flight, but finally settled on 

 the blue. A little later it flew up into 

 the air, but soon returned to the blue; 

 then it flew across to the red, where it 

 jemaiued for the lest of its visits. The 



change in the position of the blue, and 

 the discovery of a differently coloured 

 slide also bearing honey, evidently dis- 

 turbed the bee ; and its frequent flights 

 showed that it was endeavouring to 

 orient itself to these new conditions. 

 As will now appear it did not find i 

 pecessary to repeat this course of recou- 

 noitering. 



While the bee was away I transpose 

 the slides for a second time, the distance 

 apart being as before — six inches. The 

 bee returned directly to the blue. Twice 

 it left the blue for a few moments, but 

 each time returned to it. 



When the bee left for the hive, I again 

 transposed the slides ; then the bee 

 returned to the blue. The bee left for 

 the hive, and I transposed the slides. It 

 returned to the blue. 



While the bee was away I transposed 

 the slides for the fifth time. The bee 

 returned to the blue. Then it left the 

 blue slide, flew across to the red, but 

 at once returned to the blue. 



The bee left for the hive and 1 trans- 

 posed the slides. On its return it circled 

 about as though in doubt, and presently 

 disappeared from view ; but a little 

 later it returned and settled on the 

 blue. While taking up its load of honey 

 it left the blue three times, but in each 

 instance returned. 



The bee left for the hive and I trans- 

 posed the slides- It turned to the blue. 



The bee left for the hive and I trans- 

 posed the slides for the eighth time. 

 On returning the bee hovered close to 

 the red, and then went to the blue. 



As soon as the bee returned to the 

 hive, I transposed the slides for the 

 ninth and last time. When the bee 

 came back, it alighted after a little 

 hesitation on the blue. It left once 

 and flew across to the red, but scon 

 returned to the blue. Left a second time 

 but soon returned. Then it flew into 

 the room, and on being released went 

 back to the hive: 



There can be no question that in this 

 experiment the honey-bee was able to 

 distinguish the blue colour from the red. 

 It repeated the experiment many times 

 and varied it in many different ways, 



