ALIMENTARY CANAL IN THE BEE 531 



tase. Siiiiilcirly to the analogous experiments with catalase 

 (see Table III) we prepared extracts from finely rubbed 

 stomachs, as well as from separate pieces of it. 



The results obtained from investigation of these extracts 

 are adduced in Table V. 



The table shows that the rubbing of the tissues of the 

 intestine does not manifest any visible influence on the activity 

 of invertase, contrary to catalase. The slight difference 

 between the rotation of the polarization planes in extracts from 

 rubbed and intact stomachs is, probably, due to the indivi- 

 duality of the bees. 



Further, we were interested in the influence of the quantity 

 of extract on the course of invertion of sugar. For the elucida- 

 tion of this question we have conducted a series of experiments 

 in which to equal quantities of 5 per cent, solution of cane-sugar 

 were added different amounts of the same extract from stomachs 

 of bees. After standing a day at +36-8° C. the rotation 

 of the polarization plane was determined in the mixture. The 

 results obtained in these experiments are adduced in Table VI. 



On comparing the results of the experiments in Table VI 

 it is seen that by degrees as the amount of extracts increases 

 the quantity of inverted sugar in the solutions tested also 

 increases. However, there is no strict proportionality between 

 these increases. In general, as all the analyses have shown, 

 the ferment manifests a greater activity in smaller quantities, 

 whereas with the increase of quantity its activity decreases. 

 For instance, in experiments nos. 33 and 33 a 1 c.c. of extract 

 evoked a diminution of the angle of rotation on 1-63° and 

 5 c.c. of the same extract only on 3-19°. That the rate of 

 inversion is not strictly proportional to the amount of invertase 

 is also corroborated by Kikkan,^ who worked on invertase 

 obtained by him from yeast. 



A very interesting picture is produced by calculating the 

 number of stomachs corresponding to the respective amount 



1 D. A. Kikkaii, ' On the question regarding the process of inversion 

 under the influence of invertin '. Dissertation for the degree of Mag. 

 Pharm. Uriev., 1903, p. 53. 



