188 DR JOHN RENNTE, MR PHILIP RRUCE WHITE, AND MISS ELSIE J. HARVEY 



from Isle of Wight disease for a long time. On the 9th September the owner 

 reported " so far the bees have done well and the stock is strong, but I have made 

 no attempt to take honey ; indeed, I have been feeding a little recently just to keep 

 the queen breeding so as to supply young bees for winter." 



At this date a second sample, consisting of twenty-two bees, was supplied, and of 

 these, one bee was found harbouring Tarsonemus. The infection was localised just 

 inside the spiracle of one side, and was limited to one adult and a few ova. 



It is practically certain that infection of the stock in this case was effected 

 within three months and probably not much earlier. In other words the stock 

 stood in a highly infectious area for over two months without contracting the disease. 



At the end of October, the owner reported the stock as " specially strong." A 

 sample of six bees was received, and of these, one was found harbouring Tarsonemus, 

 the other five being free. 



Re. No. 2.- — -A second stock of similar origin, and with queen of same age, was 

 obtained and placed alongside No. 1, just described, upon the 9th July. Exactly 

 two months afterwards a sample of fifteen bees was taken and found free from 

 infection. The stock is strong and is receiving similar treatment to the other. 



Of a sample of twenty-one bees of this stock examined at the end of October, 

 twenty were free from infection and one showed an initial infection, consisting of 

 a few mites near the spiracle on one side. The owner reported it as "'lively, and 

 taking in pollen. There have been no signs of crawling about this hive. There is 

 plenty disease in the neighbourhood." 



R. No. 2. — Early in August a presumed healthy stock of bees was placed along- 

 side two stocks both at the crawling stage of Isle of Wight disease. At the end 

 of August thirteen bees were taken from amongst the foragers as they entered the 

 hive. Ten were clear of parasites and the remaining three were affected, all of 

 them slightly. Two of the infected cases showed only one or two adults and a few 

 ova just within the spiracle of one side. Infection had evidently taken place during 

 the period the stock was upon this site and not before. Upon advice given, the 

 stock was removed at the end of August some distance from the others referred 

 to above. At the end of October the owner reported : " It has filled up fairly well 

 on the heather, is very lively and seems all right. To-day they are gathering in 

 pollen and I send you a sample from those that were flying out and in." 



The sample contained thirty bees, and of these twenty-nine were infected with 

 Tarsonemus. There was a fair amount of bronzing of the tracheae, all stages of 

 development were present, and in a number of cases the mites were densely packed 

 in the outer tubes. 



W. No. 3. — This stock, requeened in the middle of July, was normal and in 

 good condition on 14th August, when, out of a small sample of three bees, two were 

 found to be infected. On the 6th September the stock was examined and found to 

 have bees covering nearly ten frames, with plenty brood and eggs. This stock has 



