1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



25 



veins, A. These are often branched, the 

 branches being numbered in order; thus, the 

 first branch of the vein radius being known 

 as radius-one, Ru The space between 

 veins is known as a cell, and is named from 

 the vein which forms its front margin; thus, 

 the space just behind the vein radius-one is 



pose. The flies have but one pair of wings, 

 of such a width that they support the weight 

 of the insect in flight. Had the bee wings 

 of this type they would need to be about | 

 of an inch from point to point when at rest, 

 and this would have prevented its entrance 

 to its own cell. We frequently see bees at 



FIG. 1. 



-THE WING OF A TYPICAL HYMENOPTEROUS INSECT, ACCORDING TO COMSTOCK AND 



NEEDHAM. 



known as the cell Ri. Numerous cross- 

 veins are found which are represented by 

 small letters; thus, the cross-vein connect- 

 ing R and M is the radio-medial (r-m) . 



Fig. 1 represents the wing of the typical 

 insect belonging to the Hymeiioptera (the 

 order to which the bee belongs). No spe- 

 cies of insect has a wing just like this; but 

 a study of many species has indicated that 



the entrance with the wings held like the 

 wings of a fly. The special adaptation of 

 the wings like those of the bee is the row of 

 hooks, or hamuli, which are located on the 

 anterior edge of the hind wing. When the 

 wings are adjusted for flight these hooks fit 

 into a fold in the fore wing called the plait, 

 and the insect has then practically a single 

 wing surface on each side of the body. This 



FIG. 2.— THE FORE WING OF THE HONEY-BEE WITH THE MAIN VEINS AND CELLS LABELED. 



the ancestral form had a wing of this kind. 

 The saw-flies come nearest to the type in 

 this order. To follow out all the changes 

 which have taken place in the formation of 

 this wing would require considerable space, 

 so that we must omit the discussion here. 



Fig. 2 represents the fore wing of the 

 honey-bee with most of the veins and cells 

 marked. In the evolution of this wing three 

 veins have been entirely lost— the sub-costal 

 (Sc), radius-two (Ri), and cubitus-two(Ctt8). 

 In examining over one thousand wings, no 

 cases were found in which any of these veins 

 were present. The angles of the branches 

 of the radius vein are also changed consid- 

 erably. The veins R and M coalesce, and 

 lie very near to the vein C, forming a rigid 

 anterior edge. There is here also but one 

 anal vein. 



In the case of the bee we get a remark- 

 able case of adaptation to environment in 

 the way in which the wings are placed in re- 



gives much more power and regularity to 

 the flight of the bee than would be obtained 

 if the two pairs of wings acted independent- 

 ly. The number of these hooks is from 16 

 to 27, the average for drones being slightly 

 higher than for workers, and the variation 

 in number being far greater for drones. 



When at rest the wings overlap and lie 

 close to the body. In the wasps the wings 

 at rest are confined to a still smaller space 

 by being folded lengthwise. 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



JUDGING HONEY AT FAIRS. 



Criticisms on Some Queer Judging. 



BY A SUBSCRIBER. 



Recently I was at a fair and watched the 

 judging of the honey exhibits, but was not 

 myself a competitor. The judge was a very 



