498 



Dr. Blanchard, Illinois, preferred 

 wintering on summer stands, using for 

 that purpose an outer box, first cover- 

 ing the hive with burlaps, then packing 

 with cut straw; let them remain till 

 warm weather in the spring, then take 

 out the straw and let the outer box re- 

 main for summer shading. 



A vote was then taken on the past 

 method of wintering : Summer stands, 

 42 ; in doors, 50. In future, 50 will win- 

 ter on summer stands and 52 in doors. 



The Secretary then read the follow- 

 ing paper on 



Monstrosities among Bees. 



The science of Apiculture has been so 

 thoroughly studied by thousands of close 

 observers in the past, that new discoveries 

 in the natural history of the honey bee are 

 now seldom made. I do not propose to 

 offer anything entirely new on this occasion, 

 but if I can interest you for a few moments 

 my object shall be accomplished. 



You are no doubt aware that all deformed 

 or abnormal forms of bees are immediately 

 cast out of the hive by the workers, and 

 speedily perish. It is from this fact that 

 they so often escape the observation of the 

 busy apiarist. I was so fortunate, about a 

 year ago, as to discover a remarkable brood 

 just emerging from the cell. They exhibited 

 such a variety of combinations, of both the 

 male and worker bee, in each individual, 

 that my first impression was that Dr. 

 Dzierzon's theory certainly could not 

 recover from the effect of such witnesses. 

 The queen was a young Italian, about two 

 months old, extra large, of fine form and 

 light in color. The colony was a four- 

 frame nucleus. Workers hybrids. Many 

 of the cells had raised caps, and it was from 

 them that the monstrosities emerged. 



I will described them: 



1. Perfectly formed drones, but not larger 

 than worker. 



2. Drone-abdomen and thorax, with a 

 worker-head. 



3. Worker-abdomen and thorax, with a 

 drone-head. 



4 Drone-abdomen and thorax, with one- 

 half of the head worker-like the other drone- 



5 ' Worker-abdomen and thorax, with 

 one-half of the head worker-like, the other 

 drone-like. .' 



6 One-half of the head, thorax and 

 abdomen drone-like, the other woruer-like. 



They were all reared in worker cells, and 

 there were several specimens of each kind. 



1 find upon research that such monstrosi- 

 ties were observed years ago, and carefully 

 dissected by that celebrated entomologist. 

 Yon Siebold. He found in them a com- 

 bination of sexual characters in then- 

 generative organs, therefore, called her- 

 maphrodites. Bees are conceded to be 

 bisexual, such a thing as true hermaphro- 

 dites among them is perhaps impossible. 

 The development of the internal organs 

 are singularly corelated with the peculiari- 

 ties of the external. In those with the 

 worker-abdomen, he found the seminal 

 receptacle and ovaries present, but empty. 



The sting with its vesicle and glands well 

 developed. In those with the drone-abdo- 

 men, the male sexual organs were well 

 developed, the testes containing sperma- 

 tozoids, the ovarian organs, sting and poison 

 apparatus existing in an imperfect state. 



He ascribes the production of them to an 

 imperfect fecundation of the ovum. 



It has been established, beyond doubt, 

 that the queen bee can control the sex of 

 the egg at will. The eggs in the ovaries, 

 contain a male sex-producing germ ; to 

 change the sex of the egg germ to. female, 

 the queen causes the egg to come in con- 

 tact with the spermatozoa contained in a 

 little sack, on one side of the oviduct. The 

 spermatoza enter through the egg shell by 

 minute orifices called micropyle, of which 

 there are quite a number. If the micropyle 

 are obstructed, no filaments can pass, there- 

 fore, the egg remains, as it left the ovary, 

 and will hatch a drone. This is why we 

 find drones reared in worker cells. It is 

 not a mistake of the queen as some may 

 suppose but from imperfect eggs ; a matter 

 over which she has no control. 



Mr. Darwin says it requires several sper- 

 matozoa to impregnate the egg properly ; 

 if that be true, is it not probable that if 

 only one should enter the egg, that it has 

 not the power of entirely changing the 

 male-sex producing germ and thereby we 

 have the so-called hermaphrodite. 



Chattanooga, Tenn. S. C. Dodge. 



Prof. Cook stated the essay was in- 

 correct, in that the bees did not always 

 remove the monstrosities from the 

 hives, he having frequently found them 

 there. 



The Convention then adjourned. 



WEDNESDAY— Morning Session. 



The Convention convened at 9 a.m., 

 President Newman in the chair. 



The Committee on Nomination of 

 Officers submitted a report, which was 

 accepted. 



On motion, Prof. Cook was unani- 

 mously instructed to cast the ballot of 

 the Convention for T. G. Newman for 

 President, he being the nominee of the 

 Committee, which was done. 



The President elect, in a short and 

 felicitous speech, returned thanks for 

 the compliment conveyed. 



On motion of Prof. Cook, the Secre- 

 tary was instructed to cast the ballot 

 of the Convention for the remainder of 

 the nominees of the Committee, and 

 the following were announced as 

 elected for the ensuing year : 



Recording Secretary— Dr. Ehrick Parmly, New 

 York city, N. Y. 



Corresponding Secretary— Rev. O. Clute, Iowa City, 

 Iowa. 

 Treasurer— Mrs. Frances A. Dunham, Depere, Wis. 

 Vice Presidents— J. R. Lee, Huntsville, Ala. 



Dr. W. Hipolite, Devall's Bluff, Ark. 



C. J. Fox, San Diego, Cal. 



J. L. Peabody, Denver, Col. 



H. L. Jeffrey, Waterbury, Conn. 



Jesse B. Watson, Vermillion. Dak. 



Dr. J. M. Keves, Iola, Fla. 



Dr. J. P. H. Brown, Augusta, Ga. 



E. J. Oatman, Dundee, 111. 



