1 57 



with those over night (24 hours). The queen was next transferred 

 to a cage freshly sterilised with fire containing healthy bees from 

 stock No. 6 (tested Nosema free) on 19th October. 



25th October. At this date all the bees were alive and active. 



30th October. On this date all the bees were still alive. One 

 was taken and examined microscopically. Nosema apis was found 

 in the chyle stomach in sij^nificant numbers — the stashes ob-erved 

 were unopened spores and recently developed planonts. Meronts 

 could not be detected. 



31st October. One dead bee was found in the cage at this 

 date. Examination showed it to be free of Nosema. As a con- 

 trol we took a live bee and examined it. No parasites in any 

 stage could be found in the contents of the stomach, the cells of 

 which were normal in appearance. 



5th November. Two bees which died over night were examined, 

 but no trace of Nosema infection could be made out. 1 he queen 

 died on the evening of this date, having survived eighteen days 

 after receiving infection. On the following morning she was ex- 

 amined and found to be extensively infected. Her chyle stomach 

 was whitish in appearance from the presence of myriads of spores, 

 which appeared to be present in practically every cell. 



The three remaining bees were now examined, one contained 

 spores, but no cellular infection could be traced, and the other two 

 were negative. 



Experiment II. On loth October a queen which had been fed 

 fifteen days previou.'-ly with Nosema infected candy was again 

 caged and supplied with similar material. She was kept under 

 observation until we satisfied ourselves that she fed upon the con- 

 taminated material. As she was seen to tread upon it and to rub 

 her wmgs and body also against it, she was removed and confined 

 with a number of bees for a period of twenty hours with the object 

 of insuring that all infection adhering to the surface of her body 

 would have a chance of being removed. 



At the end of the twenty hours the queen was again transferred 

 to a fresh cage sterilized by fire, and into which there had been 

 introduced a small lot of bees ; these were taken from a hive 

 regarded, from the result of extended examinations, as iV^j^wa free. 



On 1 2th one bee was removed from the cage and its chyle 

 stomach examined. No Nosema spores or other stages were 

 observed. 



Later in the day the queen was found dead along with seven 

 other bee?!, leaving only two alive. One of the newly dead bees 

 was examined and was found to be heavily infected with the 

 parasites in the meront stage. The dead queen on examination was 

 found ♦^o be heavily infected with parasites in the spore stage. 

 Infection was thus completed within twenty-two days, and possibly 

 within only seven days. 



The remaining bees yielded the following result as regards 

 Nosema : — 



Dead bees : — 2 negative. 



3 slightly infected. 

 I heavily infected. 

 I live bee negative. 



