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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Bees Kly Rapidly, their wings 

 vibrating at about 190 strokes in a 

 second, when they mean business. This 

 would give them a rate of about a mile 

 per minute ; but 10 miles an hour is 

 about their speed in windy weather. 



For speed, commend us to the wild 

 fowls. Of these the canvas-back duck 

 is " the racer," when it shows its power 

 of flight. When taking it easy, this 

 duck is said to go through the air at 

 about 80 miles per hour ; but when it 

 ^oes in for a race, it puts 2 miles behind 

 it every minute, and does it easily. 



Carpenter Bees and their wooded 

 cells are thus described by Prof. A. J. 

 Cook, in Oleanings : 



The handsome bee received from F. I. 

 Tyler, of Bakersfield, Calif., is a species 

 of Xylocopa, or carpenter bee. It is as 

 yellow as the yellowest Italian, and is a 

 beautiful addition to our cabinet. It is 

 a new species to our collection, if not to 

 science. I wish I could get eight or ten 

 more like it. 



In its long abundant hair and yellow 

 color it differs from most carpenter bees, 

 and reminds us of the bumble-bees. 

 Carpenter bees are usually black, blue 

 or purple. The habits of these carpen- 

 ter bees are well known. They bore 

 into wood to form their cells, store these 

 wooden cells with pollen, and lay their 

 eggs in this, so that, as soon as the eggs 

 hatch, the little carpenters can have 

 bread (bee-bread) close at hand. 



We see our friend Aspinwall was not 

 the first to construct wooden cells. 

 These bees frequently tunnel into cor- 

 nices and window-casings, and do no 

 little mischief. I have frequently recom- 

 mended the filling of the tunnels with 

 an ointment made of either lard and 

 kerosene oil, or sulphur and kerosene 

 oil. This always drives them away at 

 once. I have never known it to fail. 



The bee sent is a female. I should 

 like very much to secure a male, if no 

 more. 



Herman F. Moore, whose ad- 

 vertisement appears in this Journal, 

 was a member of the firm of Moore 

 Bros., bee-keepers at Tiffin, Ohio, and is 

 duly qualified to take care of any Chicago 

 business, large or small, that may be 

 intrusted to him. 



At tlie Head.— We were not 

 flattered by the following item from Dr. 

 Miller in Oleanings, which says : 



Charles Dadant, in Revue Interna- 

 tionale, says that the United States 

 stands at the head in apiculture among 

 all nations, because of the study of bee- 

 books. This country stands at the foot 

 in the matter of bee-keepers' societies. 

 We might learn something from other 

 nations which leave us clear out of sight 

 in numbers. 



Dr. Miller states it very fairly. Here 

 in America, apparently, apiarists belong 

 to the rushing, dashing, pushing, busi- 

 ness portion of the community, and they 

 seem to have but little time to devote to 

 conventions. They talk well, think 

 rapidly, and are very practical in their 

 plans — but they have no time to attend 

 conventions ! 



In Europe, apiarists generally belong 

 to the upper classes, and have plenty of 

 time to devote to their chosen pursuit. 

 They are more of a social and pleasure- 

 loving disposition, and while they 

 are not quite as demonstrative as 

 Americans, their friendships are more 

 enduring. We wish that their excellent 

 examples in the matter of apiarian 

 societies might 'provoke emulation here. 



L,a Orippe has crossed the Atlantic 

 and struck New England. A corres- 

 pondent from Connecticut writes : 



Never since 1868 has such suffering 

 prevailed here. Nine-tenths of our 

 people are laid up with epidemic influ- 

 enza. Drug stores and local physicians 

 are dealing out quinine in great quanti- 

 ties, ahd the ravages of la grippe of two 

 years ago are pushed into the shade. 

 Farmers, mechanics, professional men, 

 and even idlers are sneezing and cough- 

 ing, many of them being confined to 

 their homes. 



It behooves all to watch closely, and 

 not to let a cold become seated. Watch 

 its first stages, and arrest it there, if 

 possible. 



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