Sept. 28, 1899. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



611 



first reading' of Latigstroth's marvelous book, and the in- 

 tense pleasure that I received from reading it. 



Many years ago that g-rand man. Mr. Langstroth, spent 

 a week with me at my home. He told me he wisht to have 

 his book revised, and askt my advice as to the best person 

 to undertake the task. After thinking the matter over, I 

 suggested Chas. Dadant tt Son. I am very sure that this 

 book proves that I was not unwarranted in so doing. Mr. 

 Dadant's wide and able experience enables him to bring the 

 book up to date, and of course that was all that was needed, 

 or all that any wise person would have undertaken. 



There are a few points that I should call in question, 

 which I propose at some future time to notice, but they are 

 none of them material, and I most heartily commend the 

 book to all readers of the American Bee Journal, and to all 

 other bee-keepers. 



CLEOME BEE-PLANTS AND MKSQUITE. 



While coming across the continent on the Santa Fe 

 road, I was much interested in the bee-plants, and espe- 

 cially the ones named above. Cleome integrifolia appeared 

 abundantly from Denver all thru Colorado, and later 

 cleome pungens was quite as abundant. The bees were 

 working on these plants in good numbers in many places. 

 I pickt blossoms and shook them over paper, when there 

 was quite a shower of nectar drops. It will be remembered 

 that I experimented with this plant in Michigan as one of 

 the most hopeful for bee-pasturage. The result was not at 

 all satisfactory. The difficulty seems to be that when there 

 is not natural bee-forage the season will be such that in- 

 troduced plants will fail to yield honey. Whatever the rea- 

 son may be, the experiment was an entire failure. The an- 

 thers at the end of the stamens in the cleome pungens were 

 green, and the entire flower was very attractive, fully more 

 so, if anything, than cleome integrifolia. 



I also saw abundant mesquite all thru Arizona. These 

 plants were not near enough to the railroad for me to see 

 whether the bees were working on them or not. I believe 

 that it was past the time of their bloom, tho a few strag- 

 gling flowers might very likely linger even to August. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



The Bee's Eyesight of Length of Vision. 



BY P. A. SIOLI. 



I WOULD like to reply to (not answer) Mr. Geo. H. Stipp's 

 question, or desire (see page 781 — 1898) to know something 

 about the eyesight of the honey-bee. All that we know 

 about the eyesight or length of vision is about the eye of 

 the human being, our own genus; that is, where we can 

 claim to have some knowledge indubitably, because here 

 our knowledge is not only based on experimental figuring 

 and investigation by micrometric instruments, etc., but we 

 are able to acquire some positiveness — we have the indi- 

 vidual himself to explain and answer questions. Wherever 

 we cannot do this the result is. in my opinion, quite prob- 

 lematic and mere guess-work. 



Now, take the eyesight of the human being as a rule ; 

 what great difference do we find in the eyes of different in- 

 dividuals — hardly two alike ; and how far apart is the 

 length of vision from the most far to the most near sighted 

 one ? And is there any possibilitj' of doubt that it is just 

 the same all thru the animal world, bees included ? So far 

 as my observation reaches I am sure it is so with horses and 

 dogs. 



Well, have some entomologist experiment micrometri- 

 cally with the bee's eyes, trying to find the length of vision 

 of the species ; and after making his observations with 

 quite a number of bees, say 100 to SCO, he comes to the con- 

 clusion that he found what he was searching for, as the 

 majority of his cases were running the same way ; but ac- 

 cident happened to furnish him for his experiments noth- 

 ing but far-sighted bees, or at least the larger amount of 

 them, and what will be the result of his investigation ? 



Soon another of the same fraternity will come out with 

 an entirely di&erent result, because he had more near- 

 sighted bees to experiment with. Then follows a lengthy 

 dispute between the two scholars and their adherents, but 

 from a g-eneral view scientificallj' there is not much value 

 in all those investigations, as they do not arrive at positive 

 knowledge without all imagination. " Science sometimes 

 makes great mistakes," says Dr. Mason. That's true. 



In my younger years, having the sight of one eye only, 

 I could see with distinctness as far as any person was able 

 to do ; I could follow the flying bee for at least 100 feet 

 away, and near by the same ; the eyesight regulating itself 



to suit the distance quite minutely. Now, however, every- 

 thing is a blur, and the eye is slow on changing distances ; 

 10 to 15 feet is about as far as I am able distinctly to follow 

 a bee flying away. 



So, when Mr. Stipp says it is reported that tests of the 

 sight of the condor of the Andes shovfed he can .see at a dis- 

 tance of 100 miles, I would like to know how to prove that ; 

 there are no glasses to carry the eyesight of man as far as 

 100 miles, and with a standpoint on ordinary ground, and 

 with the best instruments, one cannot see further than 30 

 to 40 miles. That shows that the above assertion is noth- 

 ing but exaggeration and imagination, and remains with 

 the individual faith whether he may believe or not. But 

 one ought to be slow to take everything for a fact that he 

 sees in print. 



To return to the bees : A bee after loading- up and 

 taking her homeward flight, certainly is quick as light- 

 ning — she beats the carrier-pigeon, but she knows her way, 

 in all probability has traveled it a good many times before ; 

 besides she is eager to bring her load home. 



Now observe her when she is hunting- for nectar in the 

 pasture field. She is in no hurry, making no jumps at all, 

 but easily meandering from one flower to the next, and 

 when there are no more to visit in that immediate neighbor- 

 hood, she does not move away in a direct bee-line to find 

 more flowers of the .same kind, but she scans the ground 

 foi-ward and backward until her sense has discovered the 

 smell of sweets on a new liunting ground. That it is the 

 scent more than anj-thing else which leads the bee on her 

 searches for honey has been shown clearly by Prof. F. 

 Plateau, of Geneva, who experimented with a great number 

 of different honey-yielding flowers, particularly with those 

 of a highly-colored and showy kind, by cutting away their 

 corona leaves or tubes, without injuring those parts which 

 secrete the nectar ; and bees, bumble-bees and butter-flies 

 were visiting these flowers and getting the honey out of 

 them after this act of mutilation just as well as before, 

 hardly making any difference with one or two varieties of 

 them, where they circled around just as if they did not 

 know how to attack their crown, tho it was evident that 

 they had the scent of the honey therein. Even flowers that 

 hacl been hidden entirely by covering them over with leaves 

 or brush enjoyed the visit of those insects just as well. 

 (Bulletins of the Royal Academy of Belg-e.) 



But suppose even that it was possible to ascertain the 

 length of vision of the average bee's eye, it would still leave 

 the question an open one. whether the bee on her swiftest 

 flight could discern the objects she is passing by, and over- 

 head. Who will answer for the little bee ? And what good 

 can it be to us if we know ? Sonoma Co., Calif. 



A Bee, Chicicen and Skunk Story. 



BY \VM. M. WHITNEY'. 



SOME time ago I promist Editor York to give a bee, 

 chicken and skunk story, and as work in the bee-yard 

 is not crowding, I can give it now ; so, here goes. 



Allow me to premise by saying, that while the follow- 

 ing- statement was suggested by the St. Louis chicken 

 stor}', it is not in the least intended to discredit any of the 

 alleged facts therein, but to give simply my own experi- 

 ence. I will say, however, that we should be very careful 

 in making our observations — lest our deductions be erro- 

 neous. 



On the farm in Ohio we raised the Barred Plymouth 

 Rock fowls; and the pure-blooded males, when about half 

 grown, are quite light-colored ; in fact, some of them at a 

 little distance, would be called white. They had a habit of 

 frequenting the bee-yard, but after awhile the bees con- 

 cluded their room was better than their company, and drove 

 them out of tlie yard, " for keeps." 



Mephitis Americana also made frequent visits to the 

 yard. I discovered him by accident, and sought a hiding- 

 place to watch his operations. He always came — or, that 

 was when I saw him — immediatedly after a thunder-shower. 

 His movements indicated no fear of the bees, for he was all 

 about the hives, moving in a gentle and quiet manner; 

 neither disturbing the bees, nor being disturbed by thein. 

 Hence, the conclusion : Bees dislike light colors, but are 

 partial to black. But, hold on a bit. My bees prefer the 

 society of a skini/c to that of the bloodedest cod; that struts the 

 yard! Perish the thought! Let us investigate a little 

 further. 



The ground in the bee-)'ard, while being sward, is very 

 loose and fertile. The chicks found that there were many 

 grubs and angle-worms there, and commenced scratching 



