WCP2195

[1]

Roxbury: Mass[achusetts]

Nov, 25, 1886

My Dear Sir

I have not read Mr [illeg.] book on insects and colour, and am indeed no naturalist.

But I had the great pleasure of hearing you last night, and am tempted to mention an observation I have often made.

I occupy in Summer a house where the bed rooms are papered with a French paper on [2] which a bunch of flowers, mostly scarlet and blue, about two and a half inches high, is repeated in quincunx pattern at fifteen inches distance. [Hand-drawn pattern of dots to illustrate]. Again & again I have seen a bee enter the room, attack one bunch, find no honey, take the next find now, take the third, find none, and to go on till he has turned our of the room. I have seen a bee take fully twenty in [illeg.] horizontally, only dipping to the next line when the [illeg.] was broken by any chance.

This shews that to a large extent the bee is guided by colour, and also that he is very slow to get new truths into him.

I an sorry to say it also finishes the pretty Eastern story of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon.

I suppose in the same thing has been [3] observed by others, but I have not happened to hear it mentioned.

With great respect | Your obedient servant | Edward E. Hale¹ [signature]