IMMS, JUNE, 1907. 79 



it he finds associated Bacillus hrandenburgiensis in 66 cases and 

 Bacillus alvci in one case. 



3. He found Bacillus alvei in 11 cases of diseased brood. Tlie 

 majority of those samples probably were from apiaries affected with 

 European foul brood. 



4. He observed and cultivated a species which he named Strepto- 

 coccus ains. This species, he states, belongs to the pneumococcus 

 group and is easy of cultivation. In 10 samples in which Strepto- 

 coccus apis was found Bacillus alvd was found in 8. 



5. He states that he had not reached a fnial conclusion concerning 

 the relation between the microorganisms and the disease encountered. 



Imms, June, 1907. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries of Great Britain requested 

 Mr. A. D. Imms, of Clirist College, Cambridge, to make a study of 

 the cause and nature of a disorder among bees. References to this 

 disorder have been made in the last f w years as the Isle of Wight 

 disease. Imms ^ made a report on his work in 1907. 



From this report an idea of the rapid losses wliich were attributed 

 to the disease can be obtained. It is stated that the disease was so 

 prevalent that it seemed almost impossible to keep a colony healthy 

 for 12 months. Seventy colonies were reduced to 8 in two years. 

 One bee keeper lost 20 colonies out of 22. Three other bee keepers 

 in the same district lost their entire apiaries, consisting of 12, 8, and 

 4 colonies, respectively. Another bee keeper lost over 50 colonies 

 and about a dozen other bee keepers had no bees left. 



Imms gives the following in his description of the symptoms of the 

 disease : 



The earliest noticeable symptom of the disease is the inability of the affected bees 

 to fly more than a few yards without alighting. As the disease progresses, the bees 

 can only fly a few feet from the hive and then drop and crawl about aimlessly over 

 the ground. They are often to be seen crawling up grass stems, or up the supports 

 of the hive, where they remain until they fall back to the earth from sheer weakness, 

 and soon afterwards die. In a badly infected stock great numbers of bees are to be 

 Been crawling over the ground in front of the hives, frequently massed together in 

 little clusters, while others remain on the alighting board. If the hives be opened, 

 numl^ers of diseased individuals will be often met with inside. They are found 

 clustered together around the queen and show very little inclination for movement 

 until disturbed and are entirely unable to fly. Badly diseased individuals sliow very 

 little inclination for stinging; those that are less severely attacked often sting very 

 actively. 



If a badly diseased bee be carefully examined it will be seen to have lost its power 

 of flight, and it crawls about with the hinder extremity of the body dragging on the 

 ground; frequently it walks about with its wings "out of joint," the hind wings pro- 

 truding obliquely upwards and above the anterior pair. The only other external 

 symptom of the di.sea.se is seen in the abdomen, which is frequently distended l)eyond 



1 Imms, A. D., June, 1907. Report on a disease of bees in the Isle of Wight. Journal of the Board of 

 Agriculture, Vol. XIV, No. 3, pp. 129-140, 4 flgs. 



