1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



533 



neck, the casting is brought up. This is 

 about the size and shape of an ordinary pea, 

 and consists of the hard indigestible portions 

 of insects. 



I do not believe that the king-bird ever in- 

 tentionally swallows an insect having a sting. 

 Drones are not often found in the stomach of 

 the king-bird, for the reason that he prefers 

 workers ; and also for the reason that, while 

 the casting is forming, he is not generally 

 near the apiary, and therefore not so likely to 

 be killed at a time when drones might be 

 found in the stomach. 



Bradford, N. Y. 



[The foregoing, especially that part in re- 

 lation to king-birds, illustrates how unscien- 

 tific are some of the experiments and observa- 

 tions of even scientific men. That the king- 

 bird is an enemy of the bee-keeper is clearly 

 proven. I have seen king-birds catch bees on 

 the wing repeatedly, and have watched them 

 carefully, as I thought ; but I always suppos- 

 ed, of course, that they swallowed them; but I 

 could never understand why their throats 

 were not badly stung in the operation. If Mr. 

 Wright is correct (and it would seem that he 

 is), the bees are rarely swallowed, but are 

 captured simply to extract the honey and 

 perhaps other juices of the abdomen, after 

 which the carcass is cast aside. If I am not 

 mistaken, Mr. Wright has been the first one to 

 contribute these interesting facts in regard to 

 king-birds and bees. 



Some of his notions have been severely 

 criticised by the Review critic ; and even the 

 editor of this journal has received a mild 

 scoring for publishing such " nonsense ; " but 

 if Mr. Taylor will conduct his experiments as 

 Mr. Wright has his, he may get his eyes open- 

 ed to more " rays of light." I don't say that 

 Mr. Wright's ideas on how nocturnal animals 

 see are correct ; but they should hardly be 

 classed as so much "nonsense." One who is 

 so close an observer as Mr. Wright should 

 receive at least candid consideration. — Ed.] 



PESTS IN THE APIARY; BEE-BIRDS AND TOADS. 



This spring in my queen-rearing apiaries 

 the bee-birds, much like a king-bird, gathered 

 in numbers sufficient to eat about a third of 

 the young queens ; and about ten days ago I 

 found that they had eaten all the drones, so 

 as to stop the queen business for the time at 

 least. I have advocated shooting ; but some 

 of the bee-men say they will be just as thick 

 the next day. I do not believe that those I 

 shot will eat any more queens or drones. 

 From now on we shall have to visit our api- 

 aries about twice a week in the evening, arm- 

 ed with a lantern and a well-sighted repeating 

 club, double-barreled, too, as we have a kind 

 of frog that goes to the hives and eats its fill 

 of bees. It is nothing unusual to kill ten to 

 fourteen in one evening. They are as large as 

 the eastern bullfrog, of about the same color. 

 They will soon reduce a strong colony if they 

 are not killed or trapped. 



This valley is well stocked with bees, and 

 many of the apiaries are managed by special- 



ists, some of whom have as many as 1000 col- 

 onies. We have two sources of honey — mes- 

 quite, a tree growing about the size of an 

 apple-tree. It blooms about April 1 to May 

 lO. The nectar is as clear as basswood, but 

 better flavored, and equal to willow-herb. 

 Our main crop is gathered from alfalfa, which 

 is fine honey, a little darker in color. Some 

 prefer it to any other honey by not having 

 that strong sharp taste. Most of the bees kept 

 here are very cross hybrids. I shall Italianize 

 as fast as possible, if the birds will allow it. 

 I will surely burn lots of powder if they do 

 not. I hope every bee-keeper in this valley 

 will kill all the bee-birds possible. 



Phoenix, Ariz., June 18. Wm. Lossing. 



A CASE OF BEE-FEVER. 



Laying Tall Sections on Their Sides while on the 

 Hives. 



BY E. W. BROWN. 



When I sat down to write I intended to in- 

 form the fraternity of a great misfortune that 

 is about to happen to us who depend upon our 

 bees for our bread ; but instead of doing so I 

 have written things which I had no intention 

 of telling — at least not until the events were 

 in the dim past. It is much easier to tell 

 about the foolish capers we cut up years ago, 

 and keep quiet about what we did yesterday. 

 However, if I may be excused for taking up 

 so much space in a valuable journal, I will 

 proceed to relate the sad news. Doolittle, 

 you must listen to this. 



While in Buffalo one day this winter I went 

 into a restaurant for my breakfast. While 

 waiting for the waiter I was aware that two 

 men were having what appeared to be a very 

 interesting conversation across the table at 

 which I was seated. My mind, however, was 

 so deeply absorbed with visions of Aspinwall 

 non-swarming dummies that I heard nothing 

 they said until I thought I heard somebody 

 say "king-bee." 



"The spirits must be whispering to me," 

 thought I, and my mental energy was soon 

 tusseling with Brown's non-swarming bottom- 

 board when again I heard a voice say " king- 

 bee." It startled me so that my hair must 

 have stood straight up, and I distinctly felt a 

 cold shiver up and down my spine. There 

 was no mistake about it this time ; somebody 

 was talking about bees. 



Just then the waiter brought me my rations, 

 and I proceeded to break my fast, and also, at 

 the same time, to stretch my neck — yes, I had 

 a rubber neck just then — to hear more plainly 

 what I might learn about king-bees. 



" I tell you," said the speaker, " he has got 

 it right down to a science. He has it all fig- 

 ured out and proved, as plain as black and 

 white can make it, how he can get tons and 

 tons of honey right here in Buffalo in the win- 

 ter time." 



Oh, what an indescribable feeling came 

 over me, and how faint-like I began to feel ! 

 "Oh!" said I to myself, "what shall I do 



