1907. THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 131 



ing for the different three hour resting from 12-6 a. m. This may be 



periods of the day, figured on a due to an error following from the 



twenty minute basis. condition of the counting, or it may 



^=^^===^=^^=^=^==^= be a real difference in the number of 



A .M. p. M. resting bees for the different weeks 



|12-3| 3-6 I 6-9 |9-i2|i'2^|'3^6 |T^ |9-i2 when the observations were made. 



Min. rest|2.23|i.92|i.44| .66|i.25|i.68|i.i4|2.29 The latter would seem the more 



^ "'~^~" probable. The results agree on the 



With the exception of the 6-9 p. m. main thing, the relative amount of 



period this gives a fairly even curve, resting done from hour to hour. 



This low figure of 1.14 is undoubted- The number of bees coming in 



ly, I think, accidental, and would dis- with pollen per twenty minutes was 



appear in the results of more exten- counted every hour for a number of 



sive observations. The remainder days. Since they also bring in nectar 



would seem to indicate that they do besides pollen, this is not a measure 



about twice as much resting from 9 of their total activity outside the hive. 



p. m. to 3 a. m. as during the rest Also, the degree of their activity 



of the time. varies very much with the condition 



The number of bees resting in the of the weather, the season, the gener- 

 whole hive were also counted every al condition of the hive, and the dis- 

 hour of the day and night for forty- tance they have to go for flowers 

 eight hours, but this was done in and their abundance. On a cold and 

 about twelve hour sections, on differ- cloudy day they may not go out at 

 ent days, so that the results are not all to gather, especially not if it is 

 of a continuous twenty-four hours' a little damp. Their period of great- 

 observation. The number of resters est activity is in the spring months 

 thus to be counted at the same hour when the fruit trees are in bloom, 

 on different days seems to vary very unless they have a special and'abun- 

 greatly, and a more even curve dant crop of flowers at another time, 

 would be obtained from a larger Also, the number of larvae and thus 

 number of counts. It is not very the demand for pollen and honey 

 easy, in fact impossible, to make an determines the degree of their activ- 

 accurate count, because of the fact ;*-- in gathering. Consequently ab- 

 that they will be resting one-half min- solute figures in this matter are of 

 ute and moving about the next half little value, since they may vary over 

 minute, while it takes about fifteen a very wide range. Of the individual 

 minutes to complete the count. Be- bees watched, only two ever went 

 sides, many are often in the cells and out to gather pollen while under ob- 

 others so thick on top that the cells servation. Two of them were young- 

 cannot be seen. However, this, a er than the age at which they are 

 considerable source of error, shoyld supposed to begin to go out. Of the 

 not differ much from hour to hour, former two, one made a 40 minute 

 So that the relative number counted trip from 8-9 a. m.. a 46 minute trip 

 from hour to hour would remain the from 9-10 a. m., a 10 minute trip from 

 same, and thus not affect the results 11-12 a. m., and a 19 minute trip 

 except in absolute numbers. The fol- from 2-3 p. m., of the same day. 

 lowing are the results of the counts, xhe other made an 18 minute trip 

 The figures are average number of from 8-9 a. m., a 40 minute trip from 

 bees resting at the different hours of lo-n a. m., and a 45 minute trip from 

 the day and night: 11-12 a. m., of the same day. Both 

 =-=^===^=-^-=^-=====^ remained in a state of dead rest for 

 A .M. p. M. all but three of the 120 minutes they 

 |i2-3| 3-6 I 6-9 |9-i2||i2-3| 3-6 | 6-9 | 9-T2 were observed at different hours dur- 



I 778| 756| 374| 327|| 2i7| 328| 493|~68o ing the afternoon of the same day. 



The counts made on the number 



These figures disagree with the re- bringing in pollen were as follows: 



suits of the observations on individual On the first hive: May 13, counts 



bees in so far as in the previous table recorded for every ten minutes 



the maximum amount of resting at throughout the dav, beginning at 8 



any time was only about two and a a. m. May 20, counts made for 



'"ourth minutes, while this table shows twenty minutes of every hour of the 



that nearly a third of the bees are day, beginning at 10 a. m. May 21st, 



