JANUARY 15, 1915 



oonsei'V'ed, while in suinmev it is driven 

 away. 



HOW HEAT IS GEXKRATED. 



The following:, page 15, seems almost 

 incredible. " A few details of the observa- 

 tions on colony C may be of interest. For 

 example, one bee was observed fanning 

 vigorously for 7^2 minutes (9 :53 to 10 :00V2 

 A. M., Jan. 23), while the other bees kept a 

 space cleared for it. The temperature of 

 the nearest thermometer rose Vo" F. during 

 the time. At 9:52 this thorniometer was 

 almost a degree cooler than at the time of 

 greatest heat during the fanning." Think 

 of it ! one bee raised the temperature V2 

 degi'ee; but perhaps the area was very re- 

 stricted, the thermometer being close to the 

 bee. Or by the fanning the air may have 

 circulated so as to draw increased heat to 

 the thermometer. 



EXPANSION OF CLUSTER. 



Dr. Gates, on page 17, states: " In watch- 

 ing this colony it was found that the density 

 (and, consequently, the shape) of the clus- 

 ter varied from day to day. When the air 

 outdoors was warm, the cluster expanded; 

 with cold, it contracted. The expansion 

 usually did not cause the bees to cover more 

 frames, but cau.sed them to cover more com- 

 pletely those frames which they were oceii- 

 P3'ing. Thus the expansion was usually 

 downward toward the bottoms of the frames 

 and in the direction of the entrance. With 

 cold, the bees receded from the bottoms of 

 the frames and from the top-bars." 



Let me suggest that the reason why the 

 expansion of the cluster was upward and 

 downward, and not sidewise, is because of 

 our artificial combs built on comb founda- 

 tion, which does not enable bees to move 

 sidewise to any extent unless the cluster 



i-eaches above the top-bar or below the 

 bottom-bar. In my estimation this is a 

 handicap in wintering in modern hives and 

 on straight combs. I should like to see the 

 experiment conducted with box hives where 

 the bees, when left to their own devices, will 

 leave j)assages in combs so the cluster can 

 expand or contract in eveiy direction with- 

 out leaving the cluster. The above is also 

 a handicap when the bees want to cliange 

 places in the cluster, and particularly when 

 there are only a few bees on the outside 

 combs. 



On the same page we find " One of the 

 most surprising observations was the ap- 

 parent interchange of bees from the inside 

 of the cluster with those on the outside of 

 the cluster. As the writer watched the clus- 

 ter, the head of a bee would gradually 

 appear from below the bees forming the 

 shell of the cluster. Finally this bee emerg- 

 ed, and took her place with the othei-s on 

 the outside. Siixdlarly, bees were frequently 

 seen to disappear into the mass." 



I have Avritten about this interchange and 

 pointed out the desirability of having Avin- 

 ter passages in straight comb so the change 

 of i)osition could take place freely. I also 

 remember having a colony in a cellar where, 

 by means of the number of bees showing 

 under the bottom-bars, I could tell to a 

 degree the temperature, and I verified this 

 many times that Avinter, and compared the 

 cluster to the mercury in the thermometer 

 in the influence of temperature upon it. 



The bulletins have many records of tem- 

 peratures; but I have avoided dealing Avith 

 them, taking only some of the practical 

 conclusions reached. Would that we had 

 the record of more such valuable work! 



Brantford, Canada. 



PEACEFUL ROBBING," WITH SOME REMARKS ON COLONY ODOR 



]!Y RALPH C. FISHER 



In regard to friend B\'er's experiences as 

 gi\'en on page 839, Nov. 1, the following Avill 

 account for the case of robbing that resulted 

 from his feeding bees. The outcome of it is 

 hardly one of unusual character, but, rather, 

 one Avherein favorable conditions were inad- 

 vertently sui)plied to an insect always very 

 willing and ever ready to take advantage of 

 them. The season of nectar-gathering had 

 long been past. The bees had taken on a 

 restful mood, or, if you please, Avere mani- 

 festing a real inclination to stay at home. 

 They were thus inactive because of no im- 

 lioi-tant duties to perform. A visitor to any 

 apiary on these scattered balmy days, though 



many bees are on the Aving, Avill hear no 

 industrious roar as Avhen the nectar season 

 is on. It Avas normally quiet, therefore, 

 Avhen Mr. Byer gave colony No. 8 that 

 lieaA-y feed of sugar syrup. It being a 

 populous colony, the amount of feed large, 

 and perhaps Avarm, the bees were attracted 

 at once. I \enture to say that there Avas a 

 spasmodic return to general activity the 

 moment bees began forcing their Avay into 

 the dormant cluster in the brood-chamber. 

 The result is likened unto the city fire de- 

 jiartment. On the sound of an alarm all is 

 iuistle and bustle, but in a systematic man- 

 ner. Thei'e Avas jirobably a grand rush of 



