7

V

forcing its way to the centre between the unfolding petals, and I have frequently cut buds of some of the more open varieties, such as Safrano, General Jacqueminot, &c., and carried them some distance with the bee in the centre. Judging, from the number of bees to be seen and heard around a bed of sorrel when in flower, I conclude it is their favourite plant ; still I cannot conscientiously recommend its culture, even to bee-keepers.

It is stated at page 18, that bees will eat sugar in every form. Wasps will ; but it must be partially dissolved before bees will consume it. The opinion of naturalists (page 19) that bees when foraging confine their operations to single species of flowers I believe to be also erroneous. In the spring such would probably be the case, as a bee alighting upon, say, a peach tree in full bloom, would have no occasion to wander farther for its load, and consequently, the pollen would be all of one colour ; but such is not the case in autumn when flowers are scarce. Then the bees have to fly from one species of flower to another ; and should they confine themselves to one species, which they do not, the pollen of the different varieties of that species often varies in colour with the colour of the flowers ; the pollen from a white fuchsia being very different to that from a crimson variety. Bees may be seen now (June) when the weather is favorable, collecting "honey all the day from every opening flower." In connection with Swarming and Hiving he says : I procured my first bees in the following manner :- A swarm was discovered on the branch of a tree hanging over a precipitous side of a gully from whence it was impossible to hive them in a box. I therefore made a rough sort of hoop of a piece of supple-jack and placed it in the mouth of a bag ; the