Page 99 - The Miracle of the Honeybee

BEES' MEMORIES

I t has been established that after mained in the hive.
watching the dance of a forager,
The boat was then pulled to the
Ithe other bees in the hive do not shore. A number of bees again found
immediately set off in flight. First it, returned to the hive and began
they analyze the information provid- dancing. This time, the other bees
ed in the dance and decide whether left the hive and headed for the boat.
to act upon it.
In one experiment, a small boat was From this, the scientists concluded
anchored in the middle of a lake near that bees were aware of their sur-
a hive, and food was placed in it. The roundings and knew there was a lake
bees eventually discovered this food, there. Since there could be no food
immediately returned to the hive and source for them in the lake, they ig-
danced to tell their fellows of the di- nored the first bees’ “mistaken”
rection and location of the food dance.
source. But even though they danced
for a long while, the other bees disre- James and Carol Gould, The Animal Mind,
garded their information and re- p. 106.

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