The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1905-01-30
BEES OF AMERICA.
An Astonishing Number Of Varieties
of Wild Insects.
EntomoIogists Do Not Knew HaIf of
Those Existing-NeNv Species
Afford Excellent study
for students.

I A bulletin recently issued by Colo
rado college coTects the popular er-
ror that there are only few kinds OF
4 bees. Some people, indeed think that
there are only three-the honey bee,
humble bee, and a smaller Wild spe-
cies. According to the authority just
quoted. no less than 1873 different sDe-
cies of wild bees have been described
! from North America-that U.s., inciud-
( ing all of the country north OK Panama
up to the present day. When one
I comes TO study the habits and strue-
ture of all these bees, SAYS the New
York Tribune, il is possible 10 under
stand why the varieties are so nUmer-
Gus.
The pollen Of flowers has to be car
! ried principally by insects-that OF one
/ flower to other flowers of the same
sort, in order to bring about the Ter
tilization and production of seed. or
all the insect carriers the bees are the
most important They visit the flow
ers for nectar and pollen, TO store up
In nests for their young. When SO
doing, they carry the dustlike pollen
from flower to flower. leaving a little
Of that previously gathered each time
they alight on a blossom.
Now, suppose that all bees visited
Unfortunately every sort of flower
It would continually happen that the
pollen Of one species Of plant was
left on the flower Of a quite different
species, where it would be altogether
useless. 1t is desirable. therefore, that
each kird of bee should visit one par
ticular kind of plant, or, at any rate,
should prefer certain kinds. This
proves to be more or less the case, and
there are many bees that never visit
more than one sort of flower. The num-
Der of flowers is very great. and con-
sequently 1t is not surprising to find
that there are many sorts Of bees.
In numerous instances the mouth
part of the bees is exactly suited to
the flowers they visit Thus certain
kinds with very long tongues can suck
the nectar from long tubular flowers,
such as the yellow Powered currant,
while others, with short tongues. can
make use Of shallow flowers Il is the
ease Of the fox and the stork over again.
Although the described North Amer
lean bees are so numerous, It is asserted
that the entomologists do not know half
OF those existing. Indeed, it is not i'm
possible that the North American con
tinent, with the West Indies. posse sses
as many as 5000 species. Thus the OPP
portunity for the student of these in
sects is very great. He is absolutely
certain TO find IN almost any part Of the
country species wholly new TO science
during his first seasons collecting. In
Colorado, for instance. It IS probable that
almost any spring or summer day de-
voted to the search. wsuld yield new
kinds. In New Mexico up to to-day sos
species have been found, and Of those
315 can be called new.
The discovery and description OF new
species are, however, only the begin
ming Of the work After this comes the
most interesting part-the study Of the
nesting habits and the relation between
the bees and the flowers. So the field
becomes a very wide one, and seems
practically limitless While the oppor-
tunities for study are so great, and. Of
course, open to all who have the time,
comparatively few can be expected to
do much In APOLOGY.
There is no reason why many should
not interest themselves so far as to make
collections, or obtain specimens for the
use Of students, but only few Will have
the zeal, industry and patience to obtain
a real grasp Of the subject. There are
at present only about Is active students
Of bees in the United States, and some
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