Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-07-08
Agricultural.
Darwin, BumbIebees, Honey bees,
Cats and clover.


EditOr PhRnir. In your criticism Of OAR
wins theory of mo Cats, No Glover, in your
issue Of 18th ut., think you misapprehend
him, as he undoubtedly has reference to the
honey bee. The former does extract honey
from the red clover, and II has been generally
understood that we owe much 10 these bees
for the fertilization of the clover. do not
however, accept the theory Of Darwin that
we owe anything to cats, for do not believe
the field mice can drive the bumble-bees from
their nests, for they would find warm work.
1t is more probable the bumble-bees would
make the mice vacate. I have always sup
posed the bumble-bee used the nest which
the mice had made the year previous, and the
fact that we do not have as many as former
ly, 1 think may be owing in part to the
wire tooth rakes, now in general use, which
rake out the nests Possibly some entomolo-
gist may enlighten us ON the subject. shall
want the testimony of an eye witness to
convince me that mice break up bumble-bees
nests. G.
Westminster West, June 81.
Not having at hand any of Darwins writ
ings in which the matter referred 10 appears,
we took the newspaper paragraph purporting
to give the substance Of it, as It appeared to
be understood by the writer. Can our cores
pondent quote the exact words Of Darwin
that have given rise to this newspaper state
ment? The bumble-bee theory occurred to
us, but the idea that they are dependent on
cats for their existence, is hardly less absurd
than that honey-bees are debtors TO the cat
to that extent. There is, of course, no ques-
ton about the fact of the fertilization of
plants by pollen carried by insects, and pos
sibly, in some cases, though rarely, this may
be the only means of fertilization. 1t is not
necessary that the pollen should be above the
organs of the plant to be fertilized, SO as to
fall directly upon them the minute particles
of pollen may be taken up in the atmosphere
and conveyed to considerable distances and
we do not see why they may not penetrate
any part of flower to which bee could gain
access. The pollen from the bloom of some
Of the grasses, sorrel, and other plants, some
times fills the atmosphere in the neighbor-
hood of the fields so as to give it a smoky
appearance. In very clear day, last spring,
we noticed a smoke over an open pasture,
which, at first, we were at loss to account
for, but found on examination that it was
caused by the pollen shaken from the boughs
of a thick growth of hemlock adjoining the
pasture 1t is probable that fertilization by
the means OF pollen floating in the atmos-
phere is effected at greater distances than is
generally believed possible in any other way
than by means of the pollen adhering to the
bodies of bees or other insects.
We have noticed the fact stated by our cor
respondent, that there are fewer humble bees
than formerly, and the wire tooth rake may
have helped to diminish their numbers. If
mice were their only enemies they should be
plentier now for in the fields where, years
ago, humble. bees nests were found by dozens,
field mice, with their uncles, aunts and
cousins were found, at the same time, by
scores. AS to the mice taking possession of
a nest filled with bumble-bees, each one
armed with a weapon that has 30 often put to
flight the animal that was given dominion
over the birds of the air and the beasts of the
field it would seem to be bringing things to
rather unnecessarily close quarters but hon
ey bees, when reduced in numbers, or when
inactive in the winter season, permit mice to
take up their residence in the hive, where
they gnaw the comb and feed on the dead
bees and larve, sometimes destroying weak
swarms.