126 



After a period of prolonged rain the morning of ist July was 

 tright and sunny. Many of the bees were active and vicious, but 

 large numbers appeared on the alighting board and many clustered 

 on the ground ; others crawled around. Drones were turned out. 

 The appearances were characteristic of the Isle of Wight disease. 

 The weather continued to be very wet. On the loth the stock was 

 examined ; there were few dead bees within, but there were some 

 slight indications of dysenterj' on the alighting board. On the 17th 

 these signs were very much increased, and there were many dead 

 bees, including drones, on the ground all around. At this date the 

 stock was active and working well ; it was rather short of stores 

 and syrup was given. 



On 29th July the stock was found in the following condi- 

 tion. The bees were active, gathering nectar and pollen. They 

 covered about six frames, and three of these had sealed brood in 

 plenty. Eggs and unsealed larvae were also present. There was a 

 moderate amount of stores, both honey and pollen, and two new 

 sheets of foundation which had been put in about 12 days 

 previously were well drawn out. Outside the hive there were 

 numerous dead bees. Besides these, there were a few crawling 

 bees — not more than a score or so were seen — some hanging to 

 grasses, others collected in small clusters and remaining motionless, 

 others making short flights — but all were definitely incapacitated. 

 All that were seen were examined. In every case the usual 

 condition associated with the Isle of Wight disease was found 

 present. 



The number of affected bees was relatively small, and there 

 did not appear to be many on the floor of the hive within. 

 Generally the impression obtained at this date was that the stock 

 contained only a small number of sick bees and was building up. 



On the 5th August the stock was working well, and a large 

 amount of sealed brood covering 3 frames — also eggs and larvae — 

 were present. The conditions were similar to those observed on 29th 

 July, except that the numbers of eggs and younger larvae were very 

 much increased. Stores were short and syrup was given. The 

 weather at this time was very warm. Sick bees continued to crawl 

 and climb upon the grass. 



It may be regarded as certain that the crawling bees observed 

 in the later weeks of July and in the beginning of August were not 

 the diseased bees introduced upon the nth April, which were bees 

 of the previous autumn. The sick bees were hatched in the hive 

 subsequent to the introduction of the disease, and had been in 

 immediate association with diseased inmates of the hive for a 

 longer or shorter period. 



A further development of this case is described in the next 

 experiment. 



No. 2. About the middle of June 19 16 a frame of bees from 

 the aforementioned experimental stock was placed in an observation 

 hive, and to these an Italian queen was successfully introduced. 

 Owing to bad weather there were few opportunities for flying, but 

 when these occurred the bees gathered both nectar and pollen. The 

 observation hive stood near the parent stock, but few losses by 

 return to it could have taken place, as there was no appreciable 



