270 N. E. McINDOO 



as in an ordinary hive, except when the shutters were removed 

 so that the bees could be observed. This observation hive was 

 mounted on a bench 3 feet high. 



A httle piece of cotton wet with oil of peppermint was placed 

 on the alighting board among the workers. All of them except 

 the fanners scattered in only a few seconds. The fanners, how- 

 ever, very seldom moved, but continued to vibrate their wings 

 rapidly. Perhaps the current of air which each fanner created 

 prevented the odor from coming in contact with its olfactory 

 organs. 



When this piece of cotton was held close in front of the bees, 

 they always vibrated and stroked their antennae with the first 

 pair of legs, turned around quickly, and moved away hurriedly. 

 Also, whenever an open vial of peppermint was held near them, 

 they always fled in a few seconds. 



Three small pieces of cotton, one wet with oil of wintergreen, 

 another with water, and the third with sugar sirup, were placed 

 on the alighting board among many workers. The bees did not 

 come closer than within 1^ inches of the first, they surrounded the 

 second and sucked the water, while they literally covered the 

 third piece of cotton to get at the sirup. When the cotton wet 

 with sirup was placed against the one moistened with winter- 

 green, the bees sucked at the sirup only on the side farthest from 

 the oil. 



On three consecutive days in July three lots of eight dead 

 workers each were placed on the alighting board to ascertain 

 how long it would take the workers to remove them. The time 

 varied from 35 seconds to 7 minutes and 45 seconds with an aver- 

 age of 3 minutes and 11 seconds for all 24 bees. A small drop of 

 oil of peppermint was then placed on the tops of the thoraces 

 of these same dead bees. Eight at a time were put on the alight- 

 ing board as before. As a rule the workers never came nearer 

 than 1^ inches of the scented bees and when they came this close 

 they usually vibrated their antennae, turned to one side and 

 went away. Occasionally a worker would rush up to one of the 

 dead bees, seize it by a leg, wing, or antenna, loosen its hold as 

 soon as possible, and jump backward. As usual, when a worker 



