152 



HODGE. [Vol. VII. 



six bees I could catch were quickly decapitated, the brains re- 

 moved, and three were dropped into one-half per cent osmic 

 acid, and three into saturated mercuric chloride solution. 



While watching the swallows the same evening, I caught six 

 bees at about seven o'clock. These were laid aside in a net, and 

 with a second net I caught six more. I then released the first 

 six and repeated the operation ; until, at about half-past seven, 

 when no more bees could be found on the flowers, I retained 

 the six bees last captured. Before taking their brains, I watched 

 them for the space of perhaps ten minutes. Five sat perfectly 

 still in the net ; one buzzed angrily and without cessation the 

 whole time, in fact until his head came under the scissors. 

 This one was named " lively bee," and his brain was kept sepa- 

 rate from the rest. The brains were treated, of course, like 

 those of the morning lot. 



The preparation continued until eighty per cent alcohol was 

 reached, when the morning brains were allowed to remain enough 

 longer to catch up ; and then all were arranged in pairs upon 

 slips of cardboard, as described on page 115. With the excep- 

 tion of No. 12 ("lively bee"), they were paired indiscriminately, 

 osmic acid brains, morning, with osmic acid brains, evening ; 

 the mercuric chloride specimens in the same way ; and for con- 

 venience they were numbered, the odd numbers representing 

 morning, the even numbers evening bees. 



The attempt was made to measure the nuclei after the manner 

 of foregoing experiments ; and although one may see from Figs. 

 10 and II how far from satisfactory such a method might be, 

 still the results will be given in tabulated form. 



