i'HE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



661 



^oxxi^s:^on(itnu. 



This mark O indicates that the apiarist is 

 located near the center or the stat« named ; 

 5 north of the center; 9 south; O east; 

 ♦O west; and this f5 northeast: "o northwest; 

 o- southeast; and P southwest of the center 

 of the State mentioned. 



For the American Bee JoumaL 



UncaDBeil NyiuBtis— Olisenations, 



J. F. LATHAM. 



When examining the brood-combs, 

 the observant bee-keeper will notice, 

 scattered over their surface, in a 

 comparatively compact mass of cap- 



Eed brood, cells partly tilled with 

 oney, others hlled with honey but 

 open, and some containing honey, 

 and sealed ; while others will contain 

 pollen in greater or less quantities. 

 At the same time the bee-keeper will 

 observe empty cells, cells containing 

 eggs, larvae in their various stages of afterwards 

 development, capped brood and 

 " bare-headed " nymphs, scattered 

 here and there in combs that contain, 

 otherwise, an unbroken mass of pol- 

 len and sealed honey. 



Upon scrutinizing the combs alluded 

 to above, it will be noticed that the 

 oriUces of the cells containing the 

 bare-headed nymphs are slightly con- 

 tracted, and protrude beyond their 

 surroundings, evincing the appear- 

 ance of having been left by the nurse- 

 bees for a future finishing touch. The 

 pupa; appear to be cocoonless. 



When a cause for the " bare-head- 

 ed " phenomena is sought, the condi- 

 tions and immediate surroundings in 

 ■which they exist, seem to call for 

 some attention. Reasoning from ef- 

 fect to cause, several items present 

 themselves for the exercise of thought 

 as indices by which the investigator 

 may be led to the true source of the 

 lusus naturce; for such it appears to be. 

 In many of the uncapped cells, 

 alluded to, the larvae die before 

 reaching the pupae stage, and are re- 

 moved by the bees; while others 

 reach the imago stage before vitality 

 becomes extinct, and are removed by 

 the bees also. In some of the cells 

 the remains of the larvfe and pupae 

 will be found in all grades of decom- 

 position, having the appearance, and 

 emitting the odor of foul brood. 

 When my attention was first drawn 

 to the phenomena of " bare-jeaded 

 brood," I attributed the cause to 

 a defective development — stunted 

 growth— the result of inefficient nurs- 

 ing, inadequate nourishment, lack of 

 warmth, etc. ; behind which, the con- 

 stitutional stamina of the progenitors 

 were entitled to a due share of con- 

 sideration. One item in support of a 

 defective development, so far as I 

 have been able to ascertain, appears 

 to exist in the fact before noted, that 

 the bare-headed nymphs are cocoon- 

 less. If such is a fact, it presents a 

 very sound basis for the conclusion, 

 that a lack of vitality in the larvae 

 prevents them from performing a 



radical task— that of supplying the 

 swaddling-bands required by nature 

 during the transformation period. 



I can recall but a few instances 

 when I have seen many unsealed 

 pupse in colonies having vigorous 

 queens, when the strength of the col- 

 ony was properly divided between the 

 duties of the brood-chamber and the 

 supers. During the past season I 

 hived about one-half of a medium- 

 sized swarm on eight all-worker 

 combs, a year old, from which the 

 honey was extracted last fall. At 

 the time for the brood to be capped, I 

 found the four central combs a com- 

 plete mass, one-half of which, at a 

 fair estimate, was " bare-headed." 

 My first thought, on observing the 

 condition of the colony was, that the 

 old honey adhering to combs after 

 extracting, had generated foul brood ; 

 but as I could discern no visible evi- 

 dence of the disease (other than 

 enough to nurse conjecture), I was 

 satisfied with the theory that the 

 numerical strength of the colony 

 was not adequate to the proliflcness of 

 the queen. On examining the colony 

 'I found but few " bare- 

 beaded " nymphs, and at the present 

 time it is among my best. 



Although some of the correspond- 

 ents of the American Bee Journal 

 are inclined to infer that a cause for 

 the '■ bare-headed " phenomena may 

 be attributable to the presence of in- 

 cipient foul brood, a close observation 

 of its various conditions has not, as 

 yet, convinced me that it is invariably 

 a vade mecwn of the foul brood dis- 

 ease, although it may, in some in- 

 stances, be a premonition that the 

 germs of that malady are lurking in 

 the organism of the occupants of the 

 hives or their surroundings. From a 

 short and decisive experience with 

 foul brood, five years ago, I am led to 

 think that the disease, in its round of 

 development, occupies a position in 

 the list of maladies accompanying 

 bee life, of a decidedly specific char- 

 acter; but it may not limit its rav- 

 ages to any one species of insects. 



Pacific Rural Press. 



Hints aliont HaMling Bees— Stinis, etc. 



WM. MUTH-RASMUSSEN. 



Next to the diagnosis of the " bare- 

 headed " (!) phenomena, comes the 

 intluence of their presence in the 

 combs on the proflt-andloss aspect of 

 the question. If bare-headed nymphs 

 develop vigorous workers, they are 

 harmless ; but if a majority of them 

 die before maturing, and the minority 

 survive only to make puny laborers, 

 their presence in the hives must 

 surely result in loss to the apiarist. 



Next in order, is the question of 

 prevention or cure. As I am too 

 much of a novice to attempt to 

 dictate a method of correction, I will 

 suggest a prevention only, viz ; Keep 

 all colonies vigorous ! 



Cumberland,? Me. 



1W The Pan-nantlle Bee-Keepers' Association 

 will hold Its next meeting in the K. of P Hall No 

 ll.'iS Main St., WheplinK. W. Va.. on Oct. 2R and 27, 

 1887. All bee-keepera are cordially invited. 



W. L.KiNSEr, Sec. 



|y^ The Wabash County Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion will meet in the Court House at Wabash, Ind., 

 on Oct. 26, 1887. A large and interesting proKram 

 has been arranged, and all bee-keepers are cordi- 

 ally Invited. P. s. Comstock, Sec. 



The bee is, as everybody knows, 

 provided with a formidable weapon, 

 formidable in proportion to its size 

 and effect; but this weapon (the 

 sting) is very seldom used, except as 

 a means of defense. The honey-bee 

 is naturally a peace-loving insect, and 

 has no desire to molest anybody as 

 long as it is left to pursue its indus- 

 trious calling without interference. 



While flitting from flower to flower, 

 or sipping the water at the bank of a 

 babbling brook, the bee has no more 

 thought of warfare than the man who 

 peacefully works to provide for his 

 loved ones at home. But let an evil- 

 disposed person try to injure this 

 home or its occupants, or rob it of its 

 hard-earned stores, and the man is 

 immediately on the defense with the 

 best means at his disposal. 



Can you blame the bee, the most in- 

 dustrious and intelligent insect, for 

 what you commend in man? Its 

 sagacity and courage are to be ad- 

 mired rather than deplored. Without 

 these qualities the bee and its precious 

 stores would be a prey for numerous 

 enemies, all too fond of insect-food 

 and honey, and but little of the latter 

 would fall to the share of him to 

 whom the Creator gave "dominion 

 over every living thing that moveth 

 upon the earth." 



It then devolves upon man to learn 

 the nature and traits of the bees, and 

 to so use this knowledge that he may 

 reap the fruits of their industry with- 

 out pain or danger to himself, and 

 without unnecessary annoyance or 

 harm to these humble servants. 



The time of cruelly submitting a 

 colony of bees to a horrible death over 

 the brimstone-pit, for the purpose of 

 obtaining a scant supply of honey, is 

 past. As well might we kill the 

 sheep to obtain its wool, or the goose 

 for her feathers. By proper precau- 

 tions there is no more danger in ob- 

 taining the honey than the wool and 

 feathers. Certain rules must be ob- 

 served, to be sure ; but by means of 

 these rules the bee-keeper is as safe 

 at his work as a workman in any 

 other occupation. 



AVERSIONS OF BEES. 



Bees dislike all black, dark or iron- 

 gray colors ; fur, hair and wool are an 

 abomination to them. The bee keeper 

 should, therefore, avoid clothing of 

 such material and colors, when in the 

 apiary. He should also keep his hair 

 and beard covered ; and as the eyes 

 and nostrils present dark spots in the 

 face, more liable to attack than the 

 smooth skin, it is generally safest to 

 keep the whole head protected by 

 some kind of a bee-veil. This may be 

 simply a sack of dark-blue mosquito- 

 bar or tarlatan, or it may be a flour- 

 sack with a piece of wire-cloth in- 

 serted in front of the face. 



The best bee-hat is made by sewing 

 a cylinder of wire-cloth to the rim of 

 a straw or calico hat, and adding a 

 broad strip of cloth to the bottom of 



