REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



273 



wax deposited or its possible causes. The foundation supplied was from the same stock 

 as that in previous years and consequently the same weight for the 2 inches square of 

 foundation were used. The " percentage of wax added " by the bees, therefore, varies 

 with the " weight of wax added ". 



The differences between the weights of wax added in the outer and inner sections 

 is so small that the argument that the cell walls of the outer sections are stouter and 

 heavier than those of the inner sections, receives no support from these data. This 

 conclusion is practically identical with that reached in last year's experiments. 



It is to be noted that in the case where very light foundations were used, as in J 

 and K, the weight of wax added was much greater than when heavier brands were 

 supplied. 



As reported last year, the weight of wax added when the honey was collected from 

 buckwheat is greater than in that deposited for clover honey. 



With respect to the appearance of the comb from different brands of foundation, it 

 was noticed as heretofore that the dark or deep yellow varieties produced unsightly 

 " fishbones," which would materially affect the sale of the honey in the comb. 



Since the chief object in this investigation was to ascertain the relative ease with 

 which the wax of the various brands of foundation could be drawn out or utilized by 

 the bees, and the above method of procedure not proving altogether satisfactory, it was 

 thought that, at all events, approximate results could be obtained by weighing the 

 foundation after the empty cells had been shaved away on both sides of the foundation, 

 and subtracting the weight thus found from that of the same area of foundation as put 

 into the section. The figure thus obtained would represent the weight of wax drawn 

 out from the foundation supplied and utilized by the bees in building the cell walls. 



The data in Table II, resulting from this method of experiment are : — 



Table II. 

 Experiments with various Brands of "Foundation," 1896. 



A 



A 



B 



B 



O 



G 



D 



D 



D 



D 



E 



E 



F 



F 



G 



G 



H 1 



H 2 



I 1 



/ 2 



/ 1 



J 2 



K 1 



K 2 



L 1 



L 2 



Name of Wax and Mill. 



Choice wax, Root mill. 



Foundation in general use, 1896 



<( t< << 



1895 



(< (I << 



(< (I (> 



Heavy sheet, Root mil] 



Inferior wax, Root mill 



Choice wax, Given process 



Poor wax. Given process 



Patent process, 12 sq. ft. per lb. 



" 15 sq. ft. per lb. 



Heavy sidewall, R. F. H 



8c— 18 



Section. 



Outer . 

 Inner. , 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. , 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 

 Outer . 

 Inner. . 



— . 0) 



F. 



89° 



89° 



120° 



120° 



120° 

 120° 

 89° 

 89° 

 120° 

 120° 



& J S 



x,'^ 2 



•401 

 •401 

 •204 

 ■204 

 •215 

 •215 

 •215 

 ■215 

 •215 

 215 

 .315 

 ■315 

 •224 

 224 

 167 

 •167 

 ■801 

 •801 

 ••582 

 •582 

 •0114 

 004 

 ■093 

 ■093 

 ■257 

 ■257 



u T3 

 tJDC 



eg 



bo S.2 



■Su-4^" 



J> O (S o 



§ cS «> 

 bo a-- 



> O P-2 



702 



641 



835 



77 



842 



741 



81 



821 



765 



747 



856 



900 



803 



774 



726 



712 



187 



988 



107 



135 



875 



891 



014 



853 



793 



761 



■699 

 ■760 

 ■369 

 •434 

 ■373 

 •474 

 •405 

 -.394 

 ■4,50 

 ■468 

 ■459 

 ■415 

 ■421 



450 

 ■441 

 ■455 

 ■614 

 ■M3 

 ■475 



447 

 ■129 



113 

 ■079 

 ■240 

 ■464 

 •496 



- 3 



Gathered 

 from 



Clover. 



Buckwheat. 

 Clover. 



