BEES AND WASPS— GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. 189 
4 Mr. Wildman, whose remarks on the management 01 
bees are well known, possessed a secret by which he could 
at any time cause a hive of bees to swarm upon his head, 
shoulders, or body, in a most surprising manner. He has 
been seen to drink a glass of wine with the bees all over 
his head and face more than an inch deep ; several fell 
into the glass, but did not sting him. He could even 
act the part of a general with them, by marshalling them 
in battle array on a large table. Then he divided them 
into regiments, battalions, and companies, according to 
military discipline, waiting only for his word of command. 
The moment he uttered the word march ! they began to 
march in a very regular manner in rank and file, like 
soldiers. To these, his Lilliputians, he also taught so 
much politeness that they never attempted to sting any 
of the numerous company which, at different times, re- 
sorted to admire this singular spectacle . 55 
Huber’s observation, since amply confirmed, of bees 
biting holes through the base of corollas in order to get 
at the honey which the length of the corollas prevent 
them from reaching in the ordinary way, also seems to 
indicate a rational adjustment to unusual circumstances. 
For the bees do not resort to this expedient until they 
find from trial that they cannot reach the nectar from 
above ; but having once ascertained this, they forthwith 
proceed to pierce the bottoms of all the flowers of the 
same species. From an interesting account by Mr. 
Francis Darwin 1 (unfortunately too long to quote) it 
appears that, even when the nectar may be reached from 
above, bees may still resort to the expedient of biting 
through corollas in order to save time. 
In connection with biting holes in corollas I may quote 
an observation communicated to me by a correspondent, 
Sir J. Clarke Jervoise. Speaking of a humble-bee, he 
says : c I watched him into the flower of a foxglove, and, 
when out of sight, I closed the lips of the flower with my 
finger and thumb. He did not hesitate a moment, but 
cut his way out at the further end as if he had been 
served the same trick before. I never did it , 3 
1 Nature % ix. s p, 189, 
