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THE EVOLUTION OF THE BEE AND THE BEEHIVE

end of two days. A further distinction is that the honey-bee collects either nectar or pollen, but not both on one journey; and the pollen is usually uniform in colour, which indicates that it has been collected from one species of plants; but the bumble-bee during one flight brings back both nectar and pollen to the nest, and the pollen is obtained from different

Fig. 15.—Comb of a bumble-bee, showing two honey-pots full of honey and two old cocoons stored with pollen. The irregular cells shown contain developing bees. Some of the cells have been opened and a young grub can be seen lying in the interior of the cell. (After Sladen.)

sorts of plants, so that the thighs are streaked with white, lemon-yellow, orange, and bright-red pollen grains.

Should the first three or four batches of larvae hatch healthy and vigorous workers, the queen, who is now evidently tired, ceases to leave the hive and confines herself to laying eggs and helping with the necessary indoor work. When fully grown the workers cease to use the queen’s

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