rTHB AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Ill 



uneasiness or commotion among the bees. In 

 such case we confine her in a cage, insert this 

 between two crowded combs, and observe how 

 the bees deport themselves. If they appear 

 kindly disposed, we liberate her at once, and 

 generally find her acknowledged as their head. 

 We have often introduced queens in this manner 

 without losing any. 



Whoever manages his movable comb hives 

 in this way, adapting his artificial processes to 

 the nature and instincts of the bees; is not in- 

 cessantly trying experiments; does not per- 

 petually disturb and annoy Ihem; will, besides 

 enjoying the pleasures and gratification afforded 

 by his pursuit, not find himself altogether with- 

 out pecuniary renumeration, even in unfavor- 

 able years. Bee-culture, as a source of profit 

 and a subject of study, will be to him a delight 

 and a blessing. Radlow. 



««»— ♦■«S^-»— «>" 



Honey Ant of Texas. 



Bees can bear cold, however intense, if they 

 have food and are kept dry. 



Warm winters make sad havoc axnong poor 

 stocks of bees, and rich ones have sometimes 

 nearly empty combs with wliich to begin their 

 spring labors. 



A Texas paper of a late date, speaking of the 

 honey ant, says : 



" We have often heard of the 'honey ant' of 

 Texas, but the account seeming so romantic, 

 we have heretofore been hardly able to credit 

 it, but as we now have a specimen before us, 

 furnished by our friend Leo Smith, of this city, 

 we can no longer have any doubts on the sub- 

 ject. These ants are a medium size between 

 the large and small red ants, and are of a red- 

 dish and brown color. Appended to the rear 

 of each one is a transparent sack or globe filled 

 with pure, clear honey of a most delicious flavor. 

 These sacks vary in size on different ants- 

 ranging between the size of a buckshot and a 

 navy pistol -ball. On this sack, at short inter- 

 vals, are attached thin layers about the length 

 and width of half a grain of rice, and of a dark 

 color, evidently to strengthen it and keep it in 

 shape. These interesting animals, when they 

 crawl, draw their delicious load after them, and 

 if the sack is empty, they set themselves to 

 work to replenish it again. Whether they de- 

 posit this honey in their great general reservoir 

 among the rocks, to draw from it as occasion 

 may require, or hold and use it as individual 

 property, we are not informed. Here is a 

 curiosity that we believe has heretofore escaped 

 the eyes and pens of our celebrated natura- 

 lists." 



When a bee on a foraging expedition has 

 completed her lading, she returns to her hive to 

 dispose of it. The honey is disgorged into the 

 cells by the alternate contraction or dilation of 

 the honey-bag. The pollen is deposited in 

 separate cells, and is sometimes covered with a 

 layer of honey. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Patent or Latent? 



In the September number of the Bee Gazelle, 

 Mr. W. A. Flanders, of Shelby, Ohio, claimed 

 to have patented a process for rearing and pre- 

 serving queen bees. 



In the October number of the Gazette I en- 

 deavored to show — first,that he had not patented 

 any such process ; second, that the Patent 

 Ofiice, as shown by their records, directly re- 

 fused to patent said process in his application, 

 under which the letters patent for 18G4 were 

 issued; and third, that the process with all its 

 details Avas taken, with very slight and unes- 

 sential variations, from the first, second, and 

 third editions of my work on the Honej^ Bee. 



In a secret circular which Mr. Flanders is 

 selling to the bee-keeping public, and which 

 has come into my hands under circumstances 

 that fully justify me in furnishing it to the 

 readers of your Journal, it will be seen that Mr. 

 Flanders claims, under the same patent of 1SG4, 

 to have patented another process. 



I give the circular, verbatim ei literatim : 



" TO CAPTURE W^ILD BEES 



WITHOIJX CUTTING THE TREE OR FINDING IT. 



Patented April 5, 1864, by W. A. Flanders. 



Take an empty hive and bore a five-eighths 

 inch hole through its side, and introduce a tin 

 tube which fills the hole, and long enough to 

 reach into the centre of the hive. Now drop 

 three or four fZ;'6>j9S of W. A. Flanders' "Bee 

 Charm" into the hive. (This Charm* is com- 

 pounded and prepared from the extract of 

 Queen Bees, Fenugreek, and anise. Price 50 

 cents per bottle. Sent by mail postpaid.) Then 

 bore an inch hole opposite the tube's end, so 

 that when the hole is covered with glass the 

 light will shine through this tube. 



Now take a box with a hinged cover (smaller 

 than the hive) with one side wanting, and bore 

 a five-eighths inch hole into this box, and place 

 the open side of it to the hive's side, where the 

 tube is put into the hive. Now lift the cover 

 to this box, and set into it a j)late of sugar- 

 water — honey is better. The box should fit the 

 hive's side so as to exclude the light, &c., hav- 

 ing another tube, like the one in the hive, with 

 the curtain over the end, so fixed as to exclude 

 the light, but admit the bees, &c. The hive is 

 to be closed and ventilated. A i^iece of brood 

 comb can be put into it before the bees are in- 

 troduced — for, the captured bees to raise a 

 c^ueen, or a queen may be given them after- 

 ward. 



OPERATION. 



Being near where Ave suppose the tree is situ- 

 ated, we catch a bee (from a flower) in the 

 curtained tube, and run it into the feed-box, 

 (through the hole,) and after the bee has had 

 time to fill itself, Avithdraw tlie tube. The bee 

 will soon go home loaded, and return with ita 

 companions for more feed. In a short time the 



* A humerous correspondent suggests that a few drops oi 

 the liee-charra rubbed on the right elbow, might prevent 

 bees from stinging you on the left heel. 



