The Pollen Loads of the Honey Bee: A Guide to Their Indentification by Colour and Form

First edition, first printing. 52pp, [8 - References and Indexes]; 4 colour plates; plate of artificially made pollen pellets with on-laid colour swatches; 30 monochrome plates of pollen grain drawings; colour chart consisting of 6 cards plates with the pollen colours of 120 bee plants represented by multiple on-laid colour swatches; other in-text illustrations by the author. In grey cloth-coloured boards, with red titles on spine. 8vo. Cloth a little rounded at spine ends. Gift inscription on front free endpaper, else internally neat, clean, bright and tight. In its original, slightly worn, dust jacket, a little bumped and rubbed at edges, especially at corners and spine ends, some soiling on verso. Dust jacket now protected in an archival quality Mylar wrapper, fitted without the use of tape or adhesives. Dorothy Hodges (1898-1979) was a gifted water colour and pastel painter. She took up bee-keeping during the Second World War and became fascinated by the colours of the pollen loads her bees collected. This fascination resulted in her iconic work, The Pollen Loads of The Honey Bee'. The classic work on pollen loads, copiously and innovative illustrated by Hodges, with unique mounted colour swatches as a guide to the colours of the pollen loads gathered from various plants and trees at different times of the year - the book is as a much a work of art as it is the bible reference on pollen loads. Very hard to find, especially in this very good condition, and often sought after by Bee Keepers.