856 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov 



young queen had been trying to take her wedding- 

 trip; but by elevating her in the air she Anally sac- 

 ceeded. J. R. Reed. 



Milford, Wis., Oct. 7, 1889. 



You give us some very conclusive facts, 

 and some very important facts also. Your 

 last experiment reminds us of the way we 

 fussed with virgin queens at the time when 

 there was such an excitement about artifi- 

 cial fertilization. I have tossed queens up 

 into the air, when their wings were poor, 

 hoping I might be successful, as you were 

 with your fish-pole; but your queen could 

 almost fly, and you gave her such an eleva- 

 tion that it succeeded, I presume by acci- 

 dent. 1 believe we have had reports before 

 of results strikingly similar, but none quite 

 so direct and positive as those you give. 



A FLORIDA BUGBEAR. 



POISONOUS insects; by one who has been 



AMONG THEM. 



fHE deadly black grampus, referred to by your 

 West Virginia correspondent in your issue 

 of Sept. 1, page 709, must be a terrible fellow. 

 He is variously called 'scorpion," "whip 

 scorpion," and in this region they are called 

 " mule-killers." He is not a handsome beast, and 

 has a bad reputation. Native Floridians, both white 

 and black, generally regard its sting as deadly as 

 the fangs of the rattlesnake. 



It has a caudal appendage, needle-like in appear- 

 ance, about two inches long, that is thought to be 

 its deadly sting. The entire length of a good-sized 

 specimen is about six inches. The palpi, or feelers, 

 are much enlarged by a claw at the extremity, 

 much like that of a crab or lobster. Its color is 

 black. Its abdomen is prominent, like a large spi- 

 der's, but much longer; and when disturbed or at- 

 tacked it emits an acrid and offensive odor. It is 



quite abundant in this region, and I think it is com- 

 mon in all the warmer parts of the State. 



It is said to inhabit the southern part of Texas as 

 well as Mexico. Its scientific name is Thelyphonus 

 gigamteus. It is allied to our common scorpion, 

 Buthus Carol inimms, which also has the enlarged 

 feelers and crab-like claws, and probably because 

 of this resemblance it is erroneously called a scor- 

 pion. I had been at work upon our homestead sever- 

 al weeks before T saw one. In turning over a rot- 

 ten log we found him. I was duly warned by my 

 assistant. 



"Look out, boss, that varmint's deathly pizen. 

 They call him mule-killer, but he is a reg'lar man- 

 killer. If he stings you, you die in two hours." 



But being of an inquiring turn of mind I decided 

 to investigate the "varmint." I did not at once 

 pick him up in my fingers. He was an ugly-looking 

 customer, and seemed well armed at both ends. 

 Being touched with a small slick, he at once faced 

 the enemy, elevating his fet lers and opening his 

 pincer-like claws, ready for battle, at the same time 

 emitting an acrid and offensive odor. I next held 

 him down with the stick, which he tried to grasp 

 with his claws, but made no use of its sting but to 

 keep it in an elevated position. The outcome of the 

 matter was, that the terrible bear proved to be a 

 harmless bug. The common scorpion is also much 

 of a bugbear, as many believe its sting is fatally 

 poisonous, it has a sting, and uses it at every op- 

 portunity; but its sting is less serious than that of 

 a bee or wasp. It is very painful for a few minutes, 

 but does not swell, nor become inflamed. 



The grampus is an insect-eater, and a particular 

 enemy of the cockroach, the great pest of the 

 Florida housekeeper, and it should be regarded as a 

 friend rather than an enemy. By this mail I send 

 you a specimen about two-thirds grown. I hope it 

 will reach you safely. Perhaps I should say, I have 

 been in Florida fourteen years, and am very famil- 

 iar with these insects. I have killed many scor- 

 pions, but never a grampus, purposely, until the 

 one I send you. I have often been stung by scor- 

 pions, but never could coax a grampus to use its 

 sting. Indeed, the poor fellow doesn't seem to 

 know that he has a sting. When viewed under a 

 microscope of moderate power, the structure of its 

 tail is clearly seen. It is composed of joints, in ap- 

 pearance much like a scouring-rush, and covered 

 with scattering hairs. Jas. H. White. 



Island Home, Fla., Sept. 20, 1889. 



The above came to us after the article 

 and drawing from friend Cook had been 

 put in type. We are very glad indeed to 

 have a corroboration of the fact that these 

 creatures are innocent and harmless. In 

 fact, the superstition connected with bugs 

 and innocent reptiles reminds us of the de- 

 mon duck mentioned by our friend J. E. 

 Walker, in his letter from China, in this 

 issue. On our grounds I find it almost im- 

 possible to persuade the boys and men that 

 the common streaked snake is not danger- 

 ous. Even where they have been found 

 close by a Hubbard squash-vine, doing dutv 

 in protecting the squashes, the men can not 

 let them alone. I am quite sure that, if no 

 one would chase them with clubs and 

 stones, I could get them as tame as my 

 Brahma chickens. We can afford to take 

 some space in Gleanings to find out that 

 many of God's creatures which have been 



