2 AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER January 



observers keep faithful and sleepless thej' do rest hours at a time, and they 

 tab on each and every one of the do appear to be lazy. Is Mr. Miller 

 workers of a normal colony of a good lazy because he does not run when 

 strain of bees, carrying out this work he takes his meals, is he lazy because 

 through a period of some four weeks he lies in bed to sleep, is he lazy 

 during which time there is a natural because he sits many and many an 

 honey How, and then sliow . by an hour watching his "personifications 

 accurate averaging of results that the of laziness" do nothing (?) ? Look- 

 individual bee is the personification ing at these acts pure ajnd simple, not 

 of laziness, when that has been done, knowing what is back of them, a casu- 

 I say then tlie more conservative of al observer would form the hasty 

 us will unwillingly accept the verdict, conclusion that the bee and Mr. Mil- 

 At present, feeling assured that such ler are lazy in the extreme. But we 

 careful and searching work never has should be only fair to the bee, for we 

 been done, I for one must enter my know that Mr. Miller is as active and 

 emphatic protest against this slander nervously eager as a healthy Cyp- 

 of the bee. rian worker-bee. 



Did those watchers know what each In the last paragraph ofTered by Mr. 



bee they watched was about; did they Miller we can heartily agree with 



know that each bee watched was a what he says until we reach the word 



normal, healthy bee; did they know "but," it is there that he proceeds to 



that work was waiting of a sort suit- make a statement which he must back 



ed to the age of the bee watched? Un- up with the strongest kind of proof, 



less they can say yes to each and all For that we must have evidence, evi- 



of these questions then their conclu- dence which will stand sifting and 



sion is good for naught. will convince. Otherwise it is up to 



I stand ready to prove from my Mr. Miller to offer a most humble 



own observations, repeated again apology to Miss Bee; and I here and 



and again, that the individual worker now throw down the guantlet to Mr. 



is the personification of eager activi- Miller, determined to see that apology 



ty, that what she does she does heart forthcoming at no very distant date. 



^"d soul. • Norwich, Conn. 

 Bees do lie dormant m cells, and 



THE RIDICULOUSLY LAZY BEE, 



ARTHUR C. MILLER. 



ACCEPTING Mr. L's challenge I call such men "eagerly industrious," 



reply as follows: "In the ag- and yet at .the end of the day the 



grcgate the bees of a colony gang has made quite a hole in the 



accomplish much as man views it, ground — "has accomplished much." 



but the individual is the personifica- But it might have done more had its 



tion of laziness." members been "eagerly industrious." 



Go out on the street and watch a We may go farther in our compari- 



gang of men. Slowly a pick rises, sons of a colony of bees with mankind 



poises and with much deliberation is and consider how small a proportion 



dropped again. Then the pipe is filled of the human family are "producers" 



and lit, then another stroke, and thus and how small a part of the waking 



It goes along the line. We do not hours of mankind as a whole is de- 



