1923] Observations on the So-called Bumblebee Trumpeter 147 
by the earlier observers, and therefore came to the conclusion 
that Goedart’s (1685) ‘^trumpeter” story was a fable. Reaumur’s 
(p. 30) opinion in this matter naturally carried much weight, 
being accepted by such eminent entomologists as Kirby and 
Spence (1818, p. 384), and dealt the bumblebee ^'trumpeter” 
a blow which was effective for almost 150 years, when Goedart’s 
(1685) story was again revived by the well-known Austrian 
bumblebee student Hoffer (1881, 1882-83). 
Being acquainted with the contradictory claims of Goedart 
(1685) and Reaumur (1742), Hoffer (1882-83, p. 23) tried for a 
number of years to find a ^ffrumpeter” among the numerous 
bumblebee colonies which he had under observation, but his 
efforts were unsuccessful until the summer of 1881. On July 7 
of that year, Hoffer (p. 23) obtained a strong colony of Bremus 
(Bombus) ruderatus which he placed in a window facing southeast. 
Early the following morning, Hoffer’s (p. 24) attention was 
suddenly attracted by a peculiar humming in the new colony, 
and, upon investigating, he found that the sound was produced 
by one of the larger bees which was perched on the waxen envelope 
of the nest and was vigorously, but uniformly vibrating her 
wings. Overjoyed at having rediscovered the long-sought 
“trumpeter,” Hoffer (p. 25) roused his wife and children, and 
later also called in the neighbors, to witness the interesting per- 
formance. However, Hoffer’s (1882-83) “trumpeter”, or ‘dnump- 
eterette” as she ought to be called, evidently was some- 
what of a slave-driver, and rather persistent, as compared with 
those of Goedart (1685) and de Pluche (1764), for “with painful 
regularity” she called her companions to work every morning 
shortly after three o’clock, and continued her ^ trumpeting” for 
about an hour. Hoffer (p. 25) now became interested to know 
what would happen if he removed the “trumpeter” from the 
colony, and, on doing so, found that thereafter the “trumpeting” 
was performed by another member of the colony, although about 
an hour later than before. As the colony grew smaller toward 
the end of the summer, the activities of the “trumpeter” became 
more and more irregular. This, and the fact that one of his 
former students claimed to have heard a “trumpeter” in a colony 
of Bremus lapidarius, led Hoffer (1882-83, pp. 25, 26) to the 
