330 



November, 1912. 



American IBae Journal 



digger-wasp "sphex," which feeds its 

 larv;L- upon paralyzed crickets in un- 

 derground burrows, he says: 



"The sphex's task being completed. I will 

 terminate mine by the examination of his 

 weapon. The organ which elaborates ilie 

 poison is composed of two tubes, elegantly 

 ramitied. converjiine: to a joint reservoii or 

 pouch, in the shape of a pear. From this 

 pouch a minute tube plunges into the axis 

 of the sting and brings to its extremity the 

 droplet of poison. The sting is of very 

 minute size, considering the size of the 

 sphex. and especially judging by its action 

 upon the crickets. Its point is perfectly 

 smooth, entirely deprived of the barbs 

 which are found upon the sting-of the honey- 

 bee. The reason of this is obvious. The 

 honey-bee uses its sting only to take revenge 

 of an injury, even at the cost of its life, the 

 indentures in the sting resisting its with- 

 drawal and thus often causing mortal rup- 

 tures in the viscera of the abdomen. What 

 could the sphex have done with a wear»on 

 that mit;ht have been fatal to it upon its 

 first expedition r Supposing that it be easy 

 to withdraw the sting when barbed. I doubt 

 much that any hymenopter using its weapon 

 to wound the game destined for the food of 

 its larvai is supplied with a barbed sting. 

 For this insect, the sting is not an instru- 

 ment to be drawn in the satisfying of re- 

 venge, the delight of the gods, they say. but 

 expensive delight, since it often costs the 

 bee its life; it is an instrument of labor, a 

 tool upon which depends the future of its 

 young. It must, therefore, be of facile use 

 in the fight with the prey; it must plunge 

 into the flesh and withdraw with ease, a re- 

 quirement much more easily filled ivith a 

 smooth weapon than with a barbed sword." 



Regarding the comparative effects of 

 the sting of this insect and of the 

 honey-bee, Fabre says: 



"I ascertained, at my own expense, the 

 pain inflicted by the sphex's sting, which 

 numbs its robust victims with such fright- 

 ful speed. Well! I confess with great ad- 

 miration, that this sting is insignificant and 

 cannot in any manner be compared with 



the intensity of pain inflicted by the honey- 

 bees and the fighting wasps. It is so little 

 painful that I often afterwards handled the 

 living sphex with my fingers instead of using 

 pincers. 



" One knows also with what fury the fight- 

 ing hymenopters thrust themselves against 

 the audacious being who disturbs their 

 home and punish his temerity. On the other 

 hand, those whose sting is intended for dead- 

 ening their prey are very peaceable, as if 

 conscious of the importance of this poison 

 for their descendants. This droiilet is the 

 safeguard of their race. I would almost say 

 Its bread-winner. So they use it with econ- 

 omy, and only in the incidents of the hunt, 

 without parading a vindictive courage." 



Although the above remarks have 

 been written some 40 years, and the 

 facts recited are well known to ento- 

 mologists, they are new to most of the 

 uninitiated, and very interesting. 



all his own. It was stored in 2-poun 

 sections, and verv Iv-rmtifii'. 



JOHN S. HA'^BISON 



Pioneer Bee-Keeper Called by Death 



By the enclosed San Diego clipping, 

 note the passing away of one of the 

 pioneers of bee-keeping — one who in- 

 vented a movable-frame hive and 

 brought bees in them to California. 

 The few bees brought previously were 

 infected with foul brood, from which 

 our State has never recovered. 



I have known Mr. Harbison for 37 

 years. He was inflexibly honest in all 

 his dealings, and was always willing to 

 impart his knowledge to any one. He 

 brought bees into this county in 18(19, 

 and has owned 3000 colonies at a time. 

 The first shipment of comb honey East 

 was in 1874 — over 200,<I00 pounds — and 



John S. Harbison. 

 Taken from Am. Bee Journal July ii, 1803. 



He never used an extractor, and 

 never wanted to use 1-pound sections, 

 saying his sections 

 (which were nailed to- 

 gether) were the kind. 

 He owned several hun- 

 dred colonies of bees 

 at the time of his death. 

 His apiaries were east 

 of the citv of San Diego, 

 ''^5!,°,l'll^^?iS°"some 30' or 40 miles 

 near the Mexican line. 



Honey Section. 



The South End of the Apiarian I'.xnntiT at Hctchinson, Kan. 



