BUMBLE OR HUMBLE ?
A very notable little pamphlet has just been written on red clover by those two careful botanists, Mr. Martin Sutton and Mr. Columbus Jones. It is interesting for some details that are independent of the main thesis. The research workers publish exact corroboration of one of Charles Darwin's obser- vations. His delightful concatenation of causes by which he proved that the amount of clover seed depends on the number of old maiden ladies is scientifically sustained. How (lid it run ? That maiden ladies keep cats, that cats cat mice, that mice eat bumble bees' nests, that bumble bees fertilize clover flowers. The most important fact in the pamphlet is the evidence of the overwhelming importance of the bumble bee. which is now being scientifically harnessed to the work. It is as much the farmer's friend as the green plover. I have one bone to pick with the botanists. They misname these useful and amusing insects Humble bees. " Bumble " is the right word, the English translation of the Latin Bornbas. It is a good onomatopoeic word, not to be lightly altered. W. BEACH THOMAI4
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