GENERAL HISTORY OF BEES. 
51 
wind blow, or there be a still sultriness with even an 
occasionally overcast sky, they are actively on the alert, 
and extremely vivacious. They are made so possibly by 
the operation of the influence upon their own system 
conjunctively with the intensity of its action upon the 
vegetable kingdom, and the secretions of the flowers 
both odorous and nectarian. 
Bees do not seem to be very early risers, the influence 
of the sun being their great prompter, and until that 
grows with the progress of the morning they are not 
numerously abroad. Early sometimes in the afternoon 
some species wend homewards, but during the greatest 
heat of the day they are most actively on the alert. 
The numbers of individuals that are on the wing at 
the same time must be astounding, for the inhabitants 
of a single colony, where they may, perhaps, be called 
semi-gregarious, from nidificating collectively within a 
circumscribed space, can be computed by myriads. 
And then the multitude of such colonies within even a 
limited area! When we add to this the many species 
with the same productiveness ! Yet who, in walking 
abroad, sees them but the experienced entomologist? 
When we consider the important function they exercise 
in the economy of nature, and that but for them, in the 
majority of instances, flowers would expand their beau¬ 
tiful blossoms in abortive sterility, we can but wrnnder at 
the wise and exuberant provision which forecasts the 
necessity and provides accordingly. But that even these 
should not superabound, there is a counterbalance in 
the numerous Enemies to which they are exposed. The 
insectivorous animals, birds, among which there is one 
especially their arch-enemy—the bee-eater; those rep¬ 
tiles which can reach them; many insects in a variety 
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