JULY 1, 101 1 



499 



Second crop of white cluver at Cannon Falls, Minn., ciiused Ijy copious rains in .1 ,ily. 

 Photographed July 18 by S. C. Swanson. 



of considerable size to find these enlarged 

 workers. 



All of this, however, is not conclusive 

 proof that workers beyond the usual size 

 are not possible. Abbe Pincot has for sev- 

 eral yeais maintained that he has bees of 

 unusual size, reared in cells larger than 

 normal. To be sure, his statement is not 

 universally accepted ; indeed, it has been 

 strongly opposed, so that pages have been 

 occupied in the discussion. At the same 

 lime, it is true that a good many founda- 

 tion-presses have been distributed in Europe 

 making cells larger than the common size. 

 Yet I do not remember to have seen it 

 claimed that any one else had succeeded in 

 rearing larger bees in these cells of larger 

 size. 



I have, however, had indubitable proof 

 that bees above the usual size can be reared, 

 because they have been reared. Some years 

 ago a Florida physician, whose name I do 

 not now recall, sent mo a queen with a few 

 workers, and pieces of drone and worker 

 comb. The difference in the size of the bees 

 was not so marked, but the larger size of the 

 cells in the comb was very striking — possi- 

 bly because it is easier to measure cells than 

 bees. As I now recall it, the worker-cells 

 were in the neighborhood of the size of 

 ordinary drone-cells, and the drone-cells 



correspondingly larger. I don't see how it 

 could be possible that there was any fake in 

 the case. 1 think any experienced beekeep- 

 er would have said tliat the combs were in- 

 disputably built by the bees. 



I do not know by what process these bees 

 were obtained, nor do I know wiiether they 

 are yet in existenc/C. The queen I received 

 was put upon ordinary worker-comb, and 

 of course her progeny v.'ere of the usual 

 size. Some one will ask why I didn't put 

 her on drone-comb. I didn't know enough. 

 But the fact remains that, by whatever 

 means obtained, bees of unusual size aie 

 possible. 



Granted that we may have enlarged bees, 

 there remains the question as to the gain. 

 Will larger bees tiy faster or further? Not 

 at all certain; indeed, it may be the otlier 

 way. A bantam is a better flier than a Buff 

 Cochin. A larger bee should have a larger 

 lioney-sac. That might or might not be an 

 advantage. But surely there would be ad- 

 vantage in the greater tongue-leng-th of 

 larger bees, if that greater length should 

 secure from red clover the treasures from 

 whicli our common bees are now barred. 

 Tliat still leaves the question whether it is 

 better to work for larger tongues or smaller 

 blossoms. But that's another story. 



The matter stands in this wav : Larger 



