THE A3IERICAN APICULTURIST. 



269 



death of the subject hi a very short 

 thne after the second innoculation, 

 and it rnvty safel}^ be inferred that 

 life ceases at tlie moment of the 

 mixture of the two liquids in the 

 body of the insect under treatment. 

 To sum up : 



1. The poison of the hymenoptera 

 is always acid, 



2. It is composed of a mixture of 

 two liquids, one stronglj^ acid the 

 other feebly alkaline, and acts only 

 when both liquids are present. 



3. These are produced by two 

 special glands that may be called 

 the acid gland, and the alkaline 

 gland. 



4. These two glands both expel 

 their contents at the base of the 

 throat from which the sting darts 

 out. 



Germantoivn, Philadelphia . 



A GUIDE TO 



THE BEST METHODS OF 



BEEKEEPING. 



Bv J. L. Christ. 



(Continued from p. 2i6, Vol. 11.) 



ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE BEES 



AND THEIR NATURAL SPEECH AMONG 



THEMSELVES. 



Let us now dwell briefl}^ upon 

 another qualit}^ of the bees. The 

 order displayed in all their occupa- 

 tions and movements is grand, 

 admirable and interesting ; and this 

 desire to observe and obey it, with 

 which the Creator has endowed 

 them, reminds us that their Crea- 

 tor and ours is a God of order. 



But how could it be otherwise in 

 the wise plan of creation? What 

 can stand where there is no order 

 and where no harmony exists? 



In regard to their two valuable 

 products, wax and honey, they man- 

 ifest an extraordinary economy. 

 Taught by Him who is absolute 

 wisdom, the artistic foundation and 

 construction of the cells, as well as 

 the economy shown in space and 

 room and in the selection and i)rep- 

 aration of material, is such that 

 the greatest geometer and the wis- 

 est scholar could not devise the 

 same with greater accuracy, econo- 

 my and adaptability ; the wax they 

 will use ver}' judiciously and with- 

 out waste, and will use resin 

 where the use of wax would be 

 superfluous. With the greatest a- 

 mount of honey in store, they will 

 not consume more than is strictly 

 necessary. By their system of econ- 

 omy and by an irrevocable law of 

 legislation, they will, in winter, in 

 spite of the greatest abundance of 

 honey, mercilessly expel all males 

 which are a burden to the common- 

 wealth and will show no mercy 

 even to the young which the}' have 

 so tenderly cared for. 



Their love and fidelity towards 

 their queen and mother involve 

 their wise plan of preservation, as 

 well as their harmony and perfect 

 understanding among themselves 

 and their mutual assistance and 

 defence. 



Besides this ready assistance 

 for the common good and for each 

 other, we may see them always 

 prepared to brush the hairs one of 

 another, for the purpose of taking 



