The American Apiculturist 



^ Ifournal htboiti) to Strcnttfic mxb ^ractrtal §edufptng. 



EXTEKED AT THE POST-OFFICE, SALEM, AS SECOXD-CLASS MATTER. 



Published Monthly. S. M. Locke, Publisher & Trop'r 



SALEM, MASS., FEBRUARY, 1885. 



VOL. III. 



No. 2. 



SUBSCRIPTION KATES. 

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 to S. M. Locke, Salem, Mass. 



MUSCULAR STRENGTH OF 



INSECTS. 



By Arthur Todd.i 



The muscular system among 

 the insects yields in no point so 

 important a power as that of the 

 Vertebrata ; we may even atHrm 

 that it is capable of developing a 

 force infinitely more considerable. 



To make this fact more under- 

 stood, Mr. Felix Plateau has under- 

 taken a series of experiments of a 

 most positive character. He has 

 caused little carriages filled with 

 heavy weights to be dragged along 

 by heavy beetles thus transformed 

 into miniature oxen. Insects with 

 good flying powers he has changed 

 into imitation birds of prey by load- 

 ing them, and he has established the 

 grand fact that the muscular power 

 is in a ratio contrary to size, the 



lA translation. 



smallest insects being capable of 

 putting forth the greatest eflTort ; 

 He has established the fact that a 

 beetle is infinitely stronger than a 

 horse, that it is even twenty-one 

 times stronger ; that a bee is thirtj'- 

 times more vigorous. In fact that 

 a horse can only exert a force 

 equal to the sixty-seventh of its 

 weight, and a beetle draws easily 

 a load equal to fourteen times its 

 weight, whilst a bee fastened to a 

 little carriage, can easily put in 

 movement a weight twenty times 

 that of itself. 



In other words a beetle can easi- 

 ly draw or pull fourteen of its com- 

 panions and a bee twenty. 



Pldlaclelphia^ Pa. 



WINTERING BEES. 



Br L. C. Root. 



During the month of December 

 the weather here has been very 

 changeable. The month as a whole 

 has been much milder than is 

 usual. 



At one time during the week be- 

 fore Christmas it was very cold, 

 the mercury falling as low as 35° 

 below zero. 



The highest point indicated dur- 

 (25) 



