Stinging Insects 41 



attack as long as they were disturbed. Not a single bee attempted 

 to sting the left sleeve, which was of course entirely white, and very 

 few even alighted upon it." 



"This experiment was repeated a second, third and fourth time; 

 in each instance with similar results. I estimated the number of bees 

 on the band of black cloth at various moments was from thirty to 

 forty; it was evident from their behavior that they were extremely 

 irritable. To the left white sleeve and other portions of my clothing 

 they paid very little attention ; but the black veil was very frequently 

 attacked." 



"A few days later the experiments were repeated, but the band of 

 black cloth, ten inches wide, was sewed around my left arm instead 

 of around the right arm as before. When the bees were disturbed, 

 after the hive cover had been removed, they fiercely attacked the 

 band of black cloth as in the previous experiences ; but the right white 

 sleeve and the white suit were scarcely noticed. At one time a part 

 of the black cloth was almost literally covered with furiously stinging 

 bees, and the black veil was assailed by hundreds. The bees behaved 

 in a similar manner when a second hive on the opposite side of the 

 apiary w r as opened." 



"A white veil which had been procured for this purpose, was next 

 substituted for the black veil. The result was most surprising, 

 for, whereas in the previous experiments hundreds of bees had 

 attacked the black veil, so few flew against the white veil as to cause 

 me no inconvenience. Undoubtedly beekeepers will find it greatly 

 to their advantage to wear white clothing when working among their 

 colonies of bees and manipulating the frames of the hives." 



When a honey-bee stings, the tip of the abdomen, with the entire 

 sting apparatus, is torn off and remains in the wound. Here the 

 muscles continue to contract, for some minutes, forcing the barbs 

 deeper and deeper into the skin, and forcing out additional poison 

 from the reservoir. 



Treatment, therefore, first consists in removing the sting without 

 squeezing out additional poison. This is accomplished by lifting 

 and scraping it out with a knife-blade or the fingernail instead of 

 grasping and pulling it out. Local application of alkalines, such as 

 weak ammonia, are often recommended on the assumption that the 

 poison is an acid to be neutralized on this manner, but these are of 

 little or no avail. They should certainly not be rubbed in, as that 

 would only accelerate the absorption of the poison. The use of 



