THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



87 



vent error. This experiment, you are 

 aware, has already succeeded with 

 more than one animal. 



To ascertain that the queen, which 

 has left the hive for impregnation, is 

 the same that returns to deposit her 

 eggs, you will find it necessary to 

 colour the thorax with some varnish 

 resisting humidity. It will be proper 

 also to paint the thorax of a consid- 

 erable number of workers in order 

 to discover the duration of their life, 

 which is a more secure method than 

 slight mutilations. 



That the worm may be hatched, 

 the egg must be fixed almost verti- 

 cally by one end near the bottom of 

 the cell. Is it true that it is unpro- 

 ductive unless when in this position ? 

 Unable to determine the fact I leave 

 it to the decision of experiment. 



I formerly mentioned to you that 

 I had long doubted the real nature 

 of the small ovular substances depos- 

 ited by the queens in the cells, and 

 my inchnation to suppose them min- 

 ute worms not yet begun to expand. 



Their elongated figure seems to 

 favor my conjecture. It would be 

 expedient therefore to watch them 

 with the utmost assiduity from the 

 instant of production until the period 

 of exclusion. If the integument 

 bursts there can be no doubt that 

 these (minute) substances are real 

 eggs. 



I return to the mode of union 

 taking place. The height that the 

 queen and the males rise to in the 

 air prevents us from seeing what 

 passes between them ; on which ac- 

 count the hive should be put in an 

 apartment with a very lofty ceiling. 



M. de Reaumur's experiment con- 

 fining a queen with several males in 

 a glass vessel, merits repetition ; and 

 if, instead of a vessel, a glass tube 

 some inches in diameter and several 

 feet long were used perhaps some- 

 thing satisfactory could be dis- 

 covered. 



\_To be continued.'] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



This number completes the third 

 3'ear's existence of the American 

 Apiculturist. One who has not ex- 

 perienced the difficulties and dis- 

 couragements attendant upon the 

 starting a publication of any kind, 

 has but little idea of what must be 

 endured in order to make such an 

 enterprise a success. The friends 

 of the Apiculturist promptly ral- 

 lied to its support, but we found 

 from experience that the success 

 of our journal needed something 

 more than enthusiastic friends. 

 However, the "struggle " long ago 

 ended and we can assure our read- 

 ers and friends that the " Api" 

 has come to stay. We believe the 

 Apiculturist will maintain its well- 

 earned reputation " as the best bee- 

 journal. " At any rate, every etfort 

 will be made to make it so. 



Our correspondents are among 

 the best in the world, and its pres- 

 ent manager has had thirty years' 

 practical experience in bee culture. 

 We have combined in the Apicul- 

 turist every element to make it 

 what our friends claim for it, 

 namely : " the best bee journal pub- 

 lished in the English language." 



It is pleasant to note here that 

 every mail bring us encouraging 

 words from every state in the"Un° 

 ion, and our subscription list is 

 increasing at a very satisfactory 

 rate. 



The reader will notice that we 

 have set the type nearly solid in 

 our reading columns, thus practi- 

 cally adding nearly four pages to 

 the "Api." When our subscrip- 

 tion list reaches a certain point, 

 four pages more of solid reading 

 matter will be added. Now, friends', 

 if you wish to aid us in publishing 

 the best bee journal and one strictly 

 devoted to your interests, you can 

 do so by sending us your subscrip- 

 tions and getting your neighbor 



