68 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Intelligence in Bees. 



Mr. Geo. E. Hilton, of Fremont, 

 Mich., lias sent the following clipped 

 from the GokUn Days, and desires it 

 inserted in the Bee Journal : 



Nowhere in the working of natural 

 law. in tlie lower order, do we see 

 more wonderful exhibitions of in- 

 stinct, nearly approaching to intelli- 

 gence, than in the common honey bee. 

 This little creature is truly "fearfully 

 and wonderfully made." 



Take for instance, the feet of the 

 common working bee. They exhibit 

 at one and the same time a basket, a 

 brush and a pair of pincers. One of 

 these articles, indeed, is a brush of 

 extreme fineness, the hairs of which, 

 arranged in symmetrical rows, are 

 only to be seen with the microscope. 



With this brush of fairy delicacy, 

 the bee continually brushes its velvet 

 robe, to remove the pollen dust, with 

 ■which it becomes loaded while rifling 

 the flowers and sucking up their 



nectar. .,.,•-„ j 



Another article, which is hollowed 

 like a spoon, receives all the gleanings 

 which the insect carries to the hive. 

 It is a panier for provisions. Finally, 

 by opening them one upon another, 

 by means of a hinge, those two pieces 

 become a pair of pincers, which ren- 

 der important service in the construc- 

 tion of the combs, and it is with them 

 that the bee lavs hold of semi-circles 

 of wax below "its abdomen, and car- 

 ries them to his mouth. 



The mechanism of the sting is no 

 less extraordinary. This weapon con- 

 sits of a sheath, inclosing two needle- 

 shaped darts of exceeding fineness, 

 placed side by side. 



Toward the point they are armed 

 with minute teeth like those of a saw, 

 whence it happens that the bee is 

 sometimes unable to withdraw this 

 little javelin from the enemy it has 

 pierced for so powerful is the impetus 

 of the sting that it will pierce even 

 the thick human skin the twelfth of 

 an inch deep. 



AVhen the sting makes the wound, 

 the acrid poison is squeezed in from 

 the bag near its base, the structure 

 and process being nearly identical with 

 those of the poison fangs of serpents. 

 Only the females and the neuters of 

 working bees have these formidable 

 weapons, the males or di-ones being 

 defenseless. 



Let us glance at some of the exhi- 

 bitions of wisdom sbown by these 

 little fellows which make such a buz- 

 zing through our gardens and hedges, 

 and stand among all the insects as 

 the nearest friends and familiars of 

 man. , , 



When an enemy little to be dreaded 

 sneaks into a hive of bees, the first 

 sentinels that see it pierce it with 

 their stings, and in the twinkling of 

 an eye the corpse is tossed out. The 

 wort is not interrupted for a moment. 



But if the intruder is a big, strong 

 slug or worm, all the workers are 

 thrown into agitation. They all rally 

 and pierce the enemy with a hundred 

 stings. But what is to be done with 

 sucli a heavy body V The httle feet of 



all the tribe would not suflice to stti' 

 the coii^se, and the narrow door of 

 the hive would not allow it to pass. 

 Its putrid odors would, however, soon 

 infect the colony, and develop the 

 germ of some malady. How are they 

 to escape from this danger ? The lit- 

 tle republicans take counsel, and 

 come suddenly to just such a resolu- 

 tion as they would have done if they 

 had thorouglily known one of the arts 

 of ancient Egypt. As under the Pha- 

 raohs men embalmed the corpse of 

 animals— either with a religious view, 

 or to presence themselves from decay — 

 so all the bees now set to work to 

 embalm the dead animal, the presence 

 of which is a menace to them. For 

 this purpose the workers scatter them- 

 selves about the country in order to 

 gather the resinous matter which 

 clings to the buds, for this is what 

 replaces the essences and aloes used 

 by the undertakers of the Nile. The 

 bees closely envelop the dead body 

 with this in the form of little fillets, 

 and deposit all around it a thick, solid 

 layer, which presarves it from putre- 

 faction. 



Unveiling the Fraud. 



It has now come to the light. We 

 well knew there was some reason un- 

 der cover why the glucose men were 

 working so persistently to prove that 

 their product was an honest one. Mr. 

 Henry Jones, of Chesaning. Mich., 

 has sent us a copy of the Detroit 

 Post and Tribune, with the following 

 item marked : 



The decision of the National Acad- 

 .emy of Sciences that glucose, as at 

 present made, is healthful, is likely to 

 bear fruit in an unexpected manner. 

 It is understood that a number of 

 glucose and starch manufacturers will 

 soon apply to the proper authorities to 

 have distilleries surveyed at their 

 factories, in order that they may go 

 into the business of making distilled 

 spirits from' glucose. Distilleries 

 must, however, be on premises separ- 

 ate from factories under the law. 

 Some of the Western distilleries are 

 said to have already discovered this 

 possible opening of anew competition, 

 and they will make an earnest flght to 

 induce "Congress to place some re- 

 striction on the manufacture of spir- 

 its from glucose. The applications 

 of the glucose men will be made first 

 to the internal revenue collectors of 

 the various districts, and will then go 

 to Commissioner Evans for final ap- 

 proval. 



So they have discovered that they 

 can make whisky of the diabolical 

 stuff, and the '"boom" is to accom- 

 plish that object. We shall watch de- 

 velopments with interest. 



^° Items like the following are 

 now to be found in nearly every paper, 

 designing, of course, to give glucose 

 another " boost :" " The National 

 Academy of Sciences has reported to 

 the Commissioner of Internal Kevenue 

 that starch sugar contains no injuri- 

 ous ingredients." The above is taken 

 from the Norwalk. O., Chronicle, and 

 was sent us by Mr. H. E. Boardman, 

 who is firm friend of honest trade and 

 undulterated food products. 



Honey and Beeswax Market. 



^^ We have a few photographs 

 (cabinet size) just taken, of the Rev. 

 L. L. Langstroth, which we can send 

 to those desiring them for 50 cts. each, 

 postage prepaid. 



OPFICK OF AMEKICAN BKB JOURNAL, ) 



Monday, 10 «. m., Jan.21, 1884.1 



The following are the latest quota- 

 tions for honey and beeswax received 

 up to this hour : 



CINCINNATI. 



HONEV— There is no cbange to note in the hon- 

 ey maritet. No cliange in the price of extracted 

 honey, but there is an improvement in the de- 

 mand. Comb honey is in large supply, and thehest 

 in 1 lb. sections brings no more than 16c. alb. from 

 store. Extracted. "(ailOc. 



BEESWAX— Fair demand, and arrivals are fair. 

 It brings 28@32c. on arrival. 



CHAS. F. MUTH. 



NEW YORK. 



HONEY— White clover and baaswood in 1 and 2 

 lb. sections, l.S(a)2lc. Darlt and second quality, 

 1,5c.: extracted white clover in kegs and bar- 

 rels, 9ffi 10c. 



BBBSWAX-Prime yellow, 34®35c. 



H.K. & F.B.Thubber & Co. 



CHICAGO. 



HONEY— Goes off slowly, and prices are lower on 

 sections that are imperfectly tilled. The demand 

 seems to be chiefly for lots that are fancy in ap- 

 pearance, and in every way perfect sales are made 

 of 1 lb. sections at l.=.@2uc. : l?-f(«2 lb. sections. 14@ 

 18c.; dark and mixed in color, very slow, at about 

 12<&yM-'. Extracted honey steady, but limited de- 

 mand: prices range from 7@Ioc. per lb. 



BE KSAV AX— Scarce, at 28^35c., according to 

 color and cleanliness. 



R. A. Bdrnett, 161 Soutb Water St. 



KANSAS CITY, MO. 



HONEY.— Receipts liberal, and sales satisfactory. 

 White comb, l and 2 lb. sections, 17@I8c. I could 

 place several thousand pounds of dark, fall ex- 

 tracted honey, ats&tic. Who has any ? Do notall 

 speak at once. 



JEROME TwiCHELL. 514 Walnut Street. 



BAN FRANCISCO. 



HONEY— Market is quiet but steady. A ship- 

 ment of 1.073 cases was made this week per sailing 

 vessel to Ijiverpool. White to extra white comb, 

 l.'VailSc.; dark to good. y(§jllc. : extracted, choice to 

 extra white, ii@7Hc. : dark and candied, 5@— 



BEESWAX- Wholesale, 27>^®3oc. 



STEARNS & suiTH. 423 Front street. 



ST. LODI8. 



HONEY — In fair demand. Comb, 13@18c.; 

 strained and extracted, ~<3,sc. 

 BEESWAX— Firmer, at 318320. 



W. T. ANTERSON & CO.. 104 N. 3d street, 



CLEVELAND. 



HONEY— Honey continues in excellent demand, 

 as reported last; every lot of choice white comb 

 is taken up as fast as it comes at 18c. in quantity 

 fori lb. sections, and an occasional sale at 19; in 

 a very few instances only, 20c. has been reached. 

 Broken lots and second quality is very slow sale. 

 For extracted there is no demand. 



BEESWAX— Is eagerly inquired for at 28@30c., 

 but none to supply thejJemand. 



A. C. KENDKL. 115 Ontario Street. 



BOSTON. 



HONEY.- Demand light. 1 lb. sections comb 

 honey 1882nc.;2 1b. 16®18c. Extracted, 9®llc, 

 BEESWAX- 35c. 



BLAKE & RIPLET, 57 Chatham Street. 



