THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 49 



To get bees which will maintain larger colonies seems to be the 

 most difficult thing of all, but after having seen what Dr. Castle has 

 accomplished with other animals at the Bussey Institution I am 

 inclined to think that nothing within reason is impossible in this 

 line of work. 



I regret that I am not able to gi\e you any more definite informa- 

 tion for I am simply a beginner in this sort of thing. 



A'ery truly }ours, 



A\ ir.Aiox Xewell. 

 State Entomologist. 



October :?4, 1911. 



[A similar letter to Prof. Davenport produced the following 

 reply] : 

 Dr. A. F. Bonney, Buck Grove, Iowa. 



Dear Sir: — Your letter regarding improving bees received some 

 time ago. 



The difficulty in improving the l)ee is entirely a technical one. 

 It is possible that something may be done b}' injecting spermatozoa 

 from the male into the young queen, or cages may be devised which 

 will control the natural mating. If this can be done there is prob- 

 ably no limit to the combinations that may be made of characters 

 in existing bees. Sincerely yours, 



Chas. B. Davexport. 



[A letter from Dr. Bonney to Prof. \\\ E. Castle secured the fol- 

 lowing reply] : 



Forest Hills. Mass.. September 27, 1911. 

 Dr. A. F. Bonney, Buck Grove, Iowa. 



Dear Doctor Bonney : — I am a strong believer in the efficacy of 

 selection to modify animals of all sorts. I base this opinion partly 

 on experiments of my own which are still in progress, and partly 

 on a critical examination of the experiments of others. The scientific 

 basis of my views I have stated in part in a little book on heredity 

 recently published by D. Appleton & Co., New York. I heartily 

 concur in the statement of Professor Phillips as cited in your letter. 

 The article which you mention from the Bee-Keefer's Reniew I 

 have not yet had an opportunity to read but shall do so at an early 

 date. Quite apart, however, from any special considerations con- 

 cerning the honey bee I should subscribe to the general proposi- 

 tion that no organism is a perfect and complete type in the sense 

 that it cannot be changed by selection and breeding. 



Yours ^'ery truly, W. E. Castle. 



I am inclined to let the reader digest the above letters for him- 

 self, and it must be apparent that there is much food for thought 

 in them. Personalh' I have somewhat changed mv mind about the 



