I casually wrote: "maybe they just miss the point: food is not simply chemistry, it's biology." Apropos that, I read this morning: It may seem rather out of place that a physical chemist should address a gathering of biologists on the relationships which exist between bees and flowers, and on the problems related to nectar and pollen which still need attention. I therefore wish to emphasize that my purpose is not to instruct but to remind you of a number of interesting facts in the bee-flower relationship which require explanation. The chemical analysis of pollen shows that its composition varies within wide limits amongst different species of plants ; the protein ranges from 7.9 to 40.0 per cent ; the fat from 1.5 to 23.6 per cent ; the ash from 2-8 to 10.6 per cent ; and the sugars from 0.8 to 11.1 per cent. We have already shown that bees select the flowers which are secreting the nectar of highest sugar content within their range, and in a similar way they select the most attractive pollens-although we do not know the determining factors which lead to this selection. Vansell records that cotton pollen was abundant and easily accessible in the San Joaquin Valley in September 1938, but the bees devoted their attention almost entirely to the limited supply of green pollen of the blue curls (Trichostema lunceolaturn) found in the same neighbourhood. Similarly, the pollen on sunflower blossoms was neglected in favour of that found on spikeweed (Centromdk pungens). As the amounts of fats, protein, ash, etc., varies so markedly in the pollen of different plants it is possible that bees find it necessary to blend their pollen loads in order to obtain a balanced diet. There are a number of peculiar honeys, the origin of which cannot be traced with certainty; for example, a green honey is sometimes obtained in Illinois, and a beautiful pink honey is obtained near Stirling and in parts of Galloway. The pink honey is stated to be derived from wild geranium, but the following 'pollen analysis' by Yate Allen shows that, it is entirely free of pollen grains from this plant, so that its origin is still unknown. We have presented a number of facts which are involved in the study of the bee flower relationship, and many of these still await a satisfactory explanation. It is probable that a botanist or a bio-chemist would have treated the subject in a very different way. Excerpted from the 46 page treatise: Pryce‐Jones, John. "SOME PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH NECTAR, POLLEN AND HONEY." Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Vol. 155. No. 2. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 1944. *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html