226 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



milk. Indeed, the older the worm 

 is, so the more nutritions is the 

 food ; then it tastes more like 

 honey or sugar and becomes such. 

 Quite near to the transformation, 

 if, for instance, the worm is so 

 large that it fills the base of the cell, 

 it has yet more of a sugar taste, 

 is sour-sweet and inclines to a 

 deeper yellow. The worm is now 

 seven or eight days old ; after- 

 wards, depending upon the weather, 

 or temperature, it develops, comes 

 to full growth, and becomes ripe for 

 transformation. So it prepares for 

 the second period of its life ; it 

 changes its position, works itself 

 about with all its might, turns it- 

 self with one end towards the 

 mouth of the cell, but always so 

 with that part forward against the 

 mouth of the cell, which shall be- 

 come the head. 



The worm now requires no more 

 feeding, but the nurse-mothers, 

 or neuter bees, cap the cells with 

 wax arched and strong, thereby 

 providing the necessary degree of 

 warmth, and also take care that 

 no disturbing changes of the out- 

 side air shall cause any injuri- 

 ous sensation upon the brood. 



The only thing that the worm 

 does directly after the closing of 

 the cell is that it prepares itself a 

 silken shroud, because it now leaves 

 its first life in the larva state and, 

 as it were, goes to the grave, and 

 comes forth with a new life, and 

 nobler body with excellently ar- 

 ranged members, to fulfil its des- 

 tiny. It tapestries its cell, for 

 instance, with a very soft, brownish- 

 red silken membrane, because dur- 



ing the transformation, it must not 

 lie directly against the walls of the 

 wax cell. 



The material from which it 

 weaves its cocoon is centred in the 

 mouth of the worm between the lips, 

 wherewith it winds about itself the 

 finest thread, and besmears it with 

 a glutinous juice, so that the web 

 or cocoon appears to be a membra- 

 nous lining for the cell and ad- 

 heres so closely to it that when the 

 perfect insect comes forth, it leaves 

 this covering behind. 



Rodheim, Germany, July, 1783. 



EDITORIAL. 

 Mr. Heddon, in his article on 

 patents, touches upon a matter of 

 vital importance to every bee- 

 keeper and adds still more evidence 

 to the fact that the time has come 

 when American beekeepers should 

 rise in their dignity and manhood 

 and demand that our association 

 shall be thoroughly and systemati- 

 cally organized and conducted in 

 the interests of the majority and 

 that, at least, one journal shall be 

 well supported which shall be the 

 mouthpiece of the beekeepers and 

 work for and in their interests. 

 Other countries have recognized 

 this need and have taken steps to 

 meet its requirements. At the 

 last convention of the Ontario bee- 

 keepers' association, our Canadian 

 cousins selected the medium 

 which should represent the interests 

 of that association and further they 

 are taking advance steps in this 



