10 
BEHAVIOE OF HONEY BEE IN POLLEN COLLECTING. 
--Femur 
THE POLLEN SUPPLY. 
When bees collect pollen from flowers they may be engaged in this 
occupation alone or may combine it with nectar gathering. From 
some flowers the bees take only nectar, from others only pollen; a 
third class of flowers furnishes 
an available supply of both of 
these substances. But even 
where both pollen and nectar 
are obtainable a bee may 
gather nectar and disregard 
the pollen. This is well illus- 
trated by the case of white 
clover. If bees are watched 
while working upon clover 
flowers, the observer will soon 
perceive some which bear pol- 
len masses upon their hind 
legs, while others will continue 
to visit flower after flower, 
dipping into the blossoms and 
securing a plentiful supply of 
nectar, yet entirely neglecting 
the pollen. 
The supply of pollen which 
is available for the bees varies 
greatly among different flow- 
ers. Some furnish an abun- 
dant amount and present it to 
the bee in such a AYay that 
little difficulty is experienced 
in quickly securing an ample 
load, while others furnish but 
little. When flowers are small 
and when the bee approaches 
them from above, little, if any, 
pollen is scattered over the 
bee's body, all that it acquires 
being first collected upon the 
mouth and neighboring parts. 
Very different conditions are 
met with when bees visit such 
plants as corn and ragweed. The flowers of these plants are pendent 
and possess an abundant supply of pollen, which falls in showers over 
the bodies of the bees as thev crawl beneath the blossoms. The 
Ptanfa 
Fig 
-Outer surface of the left hind lej 
worker bee. (Original.) 
of a 
