538 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Sept. 1 



muscles which partly continue (Fig. 1) into 

 the longitudinal muscles of the honey-sac. 



The function of the stomach-mouth is to 

 separate the filled hone>^-sac from the chyle- 

 stomach, but still permit voluntarily a pas- 

 sageway between the two. The stomach- 

 mouth also enables the chyle-stomach to ex- 

 press directly (through the filter made by 

 the lip bristles) its contents into the esopha- 

 gus, and from there into the gullet. (This 

 point is not yet absolutely proven.) 



A bee coming from the field, or a swarm 

 bee, closes hermetically its honey-sac from 

 the chyle-stomach. This action is quite au- 

 tomatic, and without effort of any muscle. 

 The pressure in the inner room of the hon- 

 ey-filter forces the four lips together like the 

 valves of a pump, the upper part of the lips 

 being somewhat flexible (Fig. 10, a). Thus, 

 without effort by the bee, no drop of honey 

 can pass into the chyle-stomach. If the 

 swarm bee is hungry, it contracts the longi- 

 tudinal muscles of the lips, and thus opens 

 the mouth, when a contraction of the mus- 

 cles of the honey-sac forces a little drop of 

 honey into the chyle-stomach, furnishing 

 new fuel to the small engine (Fig. 10, b). 



A young brood bee, which desires to eat 

 some pollen for the larvae, allows these lips 

 to approach the end of the esophagus (the 

 honey-sac being probably empty) ; opens 

 them, and expels the chewed pollen directly 

 into the chyle-stomach (Fig. 10, c). Then 

 when this pollen is well digested into chyle 

 the brood bee does the same as before, only 

 (by the compression of the chyle-stomach) 

 she squeezes the contents directly into the 

 esophagus and gullet (Fig. 10, d) . Here the 

 bristles of the lips, forming a close net, keep 

 back the undigested portions of pollen. 

 When the bee is nourishing a larger drone 

 larva, it probably opens the mouth wider, 

 because it is known that, in the food for the 

 drone larvae, parts of undigested pollen are 

 found, which is never the case in the food 

 for young workers or queens. 



According to Schiemenz, the duplicature 

 plays the role of a valve. When a bee 

 squeezes out the contents of the chyle-stom- 

 ach into the small intestine, the mouth must 

 be entirely shut. It would require a great 

 effort of the shutting muscle, because it is 

 easy to understand that the passage from 

 below is more easily forced than the pas- 

 sage from above, on account of the conical 

 form of the chasm; but if the duplicature 

 lays itself slantwise on the orifice, the latter 

 is shut automatically without great effort of 

 the muscle. Fig. 10, e. 



I must remark that Schiemenz admits that 

 the glands of the head produce the jelly, and 

 not the chyle-stomach — a theory which I do 

 not approve. However, this question by 

 experiment is very difficult to determine. 

 For my part I think that these glands furnish 

 the digested ferments to the food which is 

 passing the gullet. 



We see that the stomachal apparatus of 

 the honey-bee is an intricate one, and we 

 can not but marvel with reverent homage at 

 the wonderful work of the Creator. 



Ottenbach, Zurich, Switzerland. 



THE HORNET. 



BY WILL WEBB TUTTLE. 



Mr. Beeman, with your quiet, easy-going, gentle ways, 

 Out among the mild Italians in the balmy summer 



days. 

 There's a nucleus of hornets by my garden, in a tree. 

 With more ginger to the square inch than your whole 



ap'ary. 

 You may smile when we affirm the black bee's busi- 

 ness end is hot; 

 If you doubt it, wag your thumb and let that hornet 



have a shot; 

 For 'tis certain, when this warrior sees you warming 



up to him 

 He will send your astral body spinning round inside 



your skin. 

 For no bee-man's hide is proof against his mellifica 



dent. 

 Though it bear the apis odor, and emit the true-"hivb 



scent; 

 And your " large, slow gestures," Mseterlinck, will fail 



you like the rest. 

 For there's no cell-grafting doing'when one strikes a 



hornet's nest. 

 Muncie, Ind. 



1^ 



v 



A HORNET'S NEST. 



' For there's no cell-grafting doing 

 When one strikes a hornet's nest." 



IS THE QUEEN RESPONSIBLE 

 GREASY CAPPINGS? 



FOR 



BY THE NEW MEXICO CHAP. 



(On page 362 of issue for June 15, Mr. Wm. M. Whit- 

 ney took the ground that we were wrongly blaming 

 some of our very best queens because their bees hap- 

 pened to produce greasy sections; that the trouble was 

 not due to the strain, but rather to the condition of " ex- 

 cessive heat and lack of ventilaiton." Since that lime 

 we have received several letters arguing the question 

 pro and con.— ED. I 



Mr. W. M. Whitney, page :^62, June 15, says 

 that the (jueen has nothing to do with the 

 greasy capped honey we get from soine col- 

 onies of bees. He asked why it was that he 

 got fine white cappings, then greasy, and 



