70 LETTERS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 
planted some twigs of a species of poplar : before 
the leaves were out, and almost directly, a bee 
alighted, and opening a bud, drew from it a thread 
of the viscid matter contained in it, and with its 
legs placed it in the basket of hairs. Their scent 
is remarkably acute, which Huber proved by 
putting some honey behind a window-shutter, 
whence it could not be seen, leaving the shutter 
just open enough for insects to pass if they chose ; 
and in less than a quarter of an hour, four bees, 
a butterfly, and some house-flies, had discovered 
it. Another time he put some into boxes with 
little holes in the lid, into which pieces of card 
were fitted, and placed the boxes about two 
hundred paces from his hives ; in about half an 
hour the bees found it out, and pushing in the 
card, got at the honey. 
When bees are laden, they always fly in a 
direct line to the nest, though by what means 
they are enabled to do this we cannot ascertain. 
That it is a fact, is strongly proved by the account 
in the Philosophical Transactions of the manner 
in which the people of New England discover 
whgre the wild bees live in the woods. They 
set a plate of honey or sugar on the ground, 
which is soon attacked by the bees: having 
secured two or three that have filled themselves, 
