1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1063 



Mr. ^Morrison, together 

 witli Prof. Siu-face. Dr. 

 Pliilli])s. Dr. Mf(irea:()r. 

 Prof. Bigelow". and Air. 

 Si'l.s(>r. were stationed 

 oil a platform abont six 

 feet hi<!;h. The l^ees 

 were in a rnde l:)ox. for 

 they can not be eou- 

 ti ne( 1 on ( )r( 1 inary brood- 

 fi-aines. \Miile their 

 hrood-ronil) itself is 

 murii like that of the 

 ordinary bees, the stoi-e- 

 ceils are totally nulike 

 them. If yon can im- 

 agine l)nmi)le-l)ee st:)re-" 

 cells on a large scale. ** 

 yon can get some idea 

 of tiiese cnps of honey. 

 Mr. Alorrison pried 

 loose the top of the 

 hive. Then the fnn 

 l)egan. The scientific 

 men on the stand, who 

 desired to get a close 

 view of the wonderful 

 insects, got it with a 

 vengeance. The little 

 rascals poured ont in 



great nnmbers. and began their fnrious l)it- 

 ing. They crawled into the ears and mouths 

 of their ••liou.se-l)reakers. " and sometimes in- 

 to the no.se. They would grab a spear of 

 hair, and ])nll and twist in a way that was 

 alm( s' as liad as a sting. Thev fastened 



E. L. PKATT 



SWAKTHMORE) DEMONSTHA li.\i. 1.1 

 (^lEEN-REAKIXG AT JEXKINTOWN. 



METHOU OF 



Mi;. K'. ])E(iEN. <.)F lIOliuKEN. N. J., LOOK- 



lN(i AT A FIXE FRAME OF CARNIOLANS 



(I.OCKHAKT STRAIX), TH.\T WERE BE- 



IX(4 DEMOXSTRATEI) AT THE 



JEXKINTOWX MEETIXG. 



themselves on the Hesh. and would bite in a 

 way that would make one feel as if he would 

 lie actually eaten up. Scores of them would 

 be scjuealing in the hair of each person at- 

 tacked, biting at the wri.sts. lingers, face. etc. 



Prof. Bigelow prides himself (jn l)eing alile 

 to stand the onslaughts of ordinary liees 

 with their stings: Imt he l)egan to scratch and 

 strike in a way that started the whole crowd 

 into iiproarious laughter. Finally he jump- 

 ed, or. rather. tuml)led, off from the high 

 stand, remarking, as he did so. that he had 

 ••had enough.'" ••Why," said he, ••they 

 would drive a fellow crazy." 



^^'hen the stand had l)een nearly cleared I 

 coni-luded that I should like to know Avhat 

 the sensation was like. I re})ented. but con- 

 t-luded I would have to stand my grounil, 

 and I did till I could endure it no longer. 

 I could stand the lilting, and I could endure 

 the bees in my hair: luit when the little mis- 

 creants liegaii to crawl up into my ears and 

 into rnij )ii)sr I not only clambered off lait 

 fell off the stand, sneezing and l)lowing to 

 get the little chaps out of my mustache and 

 out of my nose. The crowd enjoyed the per- 

 formances hugely. Mr. Morrison finally put 

 on a veil, and continued his demonstration. 

 The stingless-bee honey was passeil around 

 to the crowds, and samples of the l)rood- 

 comli were also exhibite<i. It looked at one 

 time as if we would lose this valual)le colo- 

 ny, for their hive was being ])illaged. so ea- 

 ger was the crowd to see. taste the honey, and 

 experience the sensation of being ••bitten." 



Now about those l)ites. They are not seri- 

 ous. One could stand a thousand of the bees 

 biting at once were it not for the little high- 

 key squeals, and digging and twisting of in- 

 dividual hairs of the head: and then the lit- 

 tle chaps seem to 1,-iiuir that the proper thing 



