74 AUSTRALIAN BEE LORE AND BEE CULTURE- 



CHAPTER XIII. 



TEACHING BEES TO WRITE. 



Whilst I am now writing, just in front of my study window 

 I have a few hives of bees, one lot as black as any British bees I 

 ever saw. For years past these have given me the greatest amount 

 of section-honey as compared with other hives. It is well known 

 that the honey harvest this season (1900), so far, has been a failure 

 almost all over the State, and Sydney district in that respect stands 

 at zero. Some time ago I conceived the idea of teaching my bees to 

 work out certain ornamental designs for the forthcoming Royal 

 Agricultural Snow. When everything was ready to give them their 

 first lesson in ornamental comb-building, the honey crop suddenly 

 failed. So as to produce the said designs in time for the Sydney 

 Royal Agricultural Show, I was compelled to have recourse to svip- 

 plying the bees with honey for the purpose. The honey was given 

 in large quantities. I distributed the ornamental designs amongst 

 five colonies. I knew the first thing they would do was to pack 

 away as much as possible of the stores in the brood-chamber. When 

 that work was accomplished I naturally supposed all five of the 

 colonies would commence to work out my ornamental designs, 

 N.S.W. N.B.K.A., 1900, which is now in the Sydney Technological 

 Museum. Vvhat was the result? No. 1, after having stowed 

 awiay as much honey as they could, conveniently in the brood- 

 chamber, absolutely refused to take another drop of that supplied 

 them, notwithstanding there was plenty of room in the designs. 

 For years past this No. 1 has never given me a single section of 

 honey. No. 2 was already well stocked with storage in the brood 

 chamber. These also refused to build comb from fed-back honey. 

 No. 3, in like manner, had plenty of honey in the lower storey, 

 but went to work comb-building in a listless manner, and soon 

 became tired of the work. No. 4 (full-blood Italians) went to 

 work manfully, and in a few days had worked out "0" design, 

 and on the fifth day commenced storing, and as long as I gave 

 fed-back honey to them so they continue to work the designs and 

 have completed the second "0" and capped the greater portion of 



