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The theory is, stores above, and 

 brood beneath. Of course, should the 

 frames be reversed, the honey will be 

 carried above the brood ; more es- 

 pecially, should the honey be close to 

 the bottom-board and entrance. — J. M. 

 Hambaugh. 



I would not use reversible frames, 

 simply, " too many bites to the 

 cherry." Manipulation in bulk lessens 

 the work of the apiary. Inversion iloes 

 not prevent swarming, and does not 

 always cause the honey to be "carried 

 up-stairs," but by it a colony can be 

 kept up to flighting and storing strength 

 more perfectly tlian by any other one 

 plan that I am acquainted with — J. M. 

 Shuck. 



There are times that bees will re- 

 move sealed honey from the brood- 

 combs to the super without reversing 

 the combs. My present opinion is, 

 that the laying of the queen, and the 

 state of the honey-flow, has more to do 

 with it than the reversing of combs. — 

 G. L. Tinker. 



It is well known that I am an op- 

 ponent of reversible frames, and for 

 that reason my answer may be taken 

 by some as an attempt to bolster up 

 my opinion. I believe, however, that 

 the results claimed for reversing 

 frames, can be accomplished easier 

 and better, and far more economically, 

 in another way. Any answer to tlie 

 above query is an opinion, only. — J. E. 

 Pond. 



Yes, to a considerable extent, es- 

 pecially if the frames are deep. I had 

 expected to test this matter during the 

 past season, but owing to the failure 

 of the honey crop, I could not do so. 

 I think tliftt reversing the frames or 

 hives, a little before the honey season 

 closes, is an advantage. — C. H. Dib- 



BERN. 



I do not know all that may have 

 been claimed for reversible frames. 

 They do cause the bees to carrj^ the 

 honey into the surplus sections when 

 reversed at the proper time. They 

 are worth much more than their extra 

 cost, Ijecause you can keep them at all 

 times full of comb, leaving no lurking 

 places for bees. I would no more go 

 back to non-reversible frames, whether 

 suspended or otherwise, than I would 

 dispose of my spring-bed and adopt 

 the old cord and auger-hole system. — 

 James Heddon. 



If the frames are reversed at the 

 right time, the bees will doubtless 

 carry the honey into the sections, but 

 I doubt tlie expediency, in general, of 

 the reversing system. While it may 

 be advantageous at some times, and 

 under some conditions, there are many 

 serious objections to it — but it is un- 

 necessai-y to enumerate them here. — 

 The Editor. 



BEE-ANATOMY. 



Evolution and the Cilands in 



Wrillen for tlie Amtrleam, Bet Journal 

 BY PROF. A. J. COOK. 



I gladly reply to Dr. J. A. Proctor's 

 letter on page 124, even if I have re- 

 ceived such a " shaking up" from Mr. 

 Pringle, in the Canadian Bee Journal. 

 The truth is, I do not relish being re- 

 viewed in another paper with disparag- 

 ing remarks, in which case all readers 

 have to take the critic's version, and 

 cannot judge for themselves. Still I 

 care not much. In all such cases I re- 

 member the stanza, 



" Ever the right comes uppermost, 

 Ever is justice done." 



Mr. Pringle misjudged me utterly. 

 I did not back down because I was re- 

 plying to a lady. As to evolution, as 

 Prof. Le Conte well says, it is so prob- 

 able in the light of recent researcli, 

 that it is as irrational to talk of an 

 evolutionist as of a gravitationist. 



That all rudimentary organs are re- 

 mains of once useful ones, is not true. 

 The rudimentary milk-glands in male 

 mammals is an example. These struc- 

 tures are explained in other Avays, not 

 necessary to explain in a bee-paper. 

 While I have the most profound re- 

 spect for ladies, and would, I hope, be 

 ever respectful and deferential towards 

 them, I would never quibble or mis- 

 state knowingly, even in controversy 

 with a woman. I assure Mr. Pringle 

 that evolution needs no advocacy of 

 error to hold it up ; it can stand on 

 truth's platform. 



The glands I refer to as useful in 

 providing food for larval bees and the 

 queen, are large glands in the head of 

 the bee. They are in the form of a 

 compound leaf with very small leaflets. 

 The fact that these glands, as mere 

 rudiments, exist in the queen, would 

 argue, not prove, that they were once 

 useful organs in the queen. We posi- 

 tively know that the queen bumble- 

 bee in early spring does feed the 

 larvae ; indeed, at this time there are 

 no worker-bees in the nest, and at this 

 time these glands are large and active 

 in the queen. 



By the study of fossil animals, of 

 embriology or the development of the 

 young animal liefore birth, zoologists 

 are convinced fully that higher ani- 

 mals have arisen from the lower ; often 

 the intermediate forms, as in the 

 horse, snakes, and many other ani- 

 mals, have been found. Such proofs 



are so abundant that the intelligent 

 student is convinced. The fact that 

 abortive organs, like the splint-bones 

 of the horse, are found in all stages, 

 argues loudly for evolution. Thus the 

 abortive glands in the queen, in the 

 light of cognate facts in other animals, 

 suggests that the queen-bee was once 

 able to feed the larva;, when doubt- 

 less she was less prolific than now. 



Tlie honey-bee is the highest pro- 

 duct of progressive development in the 

 bee-family. Early in the rocks we find 

 no fossil bees — indeed bees are the 

 latest to appear ; and from their com- 

 plex structure we should expect this. 

 As they liave developed from a lower 

 condition, they have advanced beyond 

 others, and the queen has been set 

 apart, and in the economy of their 

 lives, has nought to do but lay eggs, 

 and so, of course, she lays far more. 



Some queen bumble-bees are now 

 more prolific than others, and so tliey 

 have more workers, and thus have less 

 to do ; thus they constantly tend to in- 

 crease in prolificness. 



The strongest argument as to snakes' 

 legs comes from the study of fossils. 

 Snakes, like animals, are found with 

 legs. Snakes are very late to appear 

 in the rocks. Though they are the 

 lowest of reptiles, yet they were the 

 last of all reptiles to appear, as geology 

 clearly sliows. The loss of their legs 

 is a case of retrograde development. 



This is too large a subject for'a short 

 article, and requires more space than 

 is proper here. I would advise all who 

 are interested in the subject, to pro- 

 cure Le Conte's work on evolution. 

 This author is a Christian gentleman, 

 no less than one of our distinguished 

 scientists. Like ^the late Dr. Gray, he 

 is a grand exempliflcatiou of Christ in 

 the heart and life. At the same time, 

 he is a master in science. 



Agricultural College, Mich. 



WINTERING BEES. 



Cellar-^Vinteringr and Insurance 

 of Bees. 



Written for the Americari Bee Journal 

 BY MRS. EMMA HULETT. 



The past season was the poorest for 

 honey tliat I ever have seen. I com- 

 menced the spring with 60 fair colo- 

 nies, and increased them to 97 of the 

 strongest colonies (both in bees and in 

 honey) that we ever put into winter 

 quarters. I never hived larger or 

 stronger swarms than those of last 

 season, and up to the present time my 

 bees are wintering splendidly in the 

 cellar or house, built above ground, 

 18x24 feet, and with sawdust filling of 

 22 inches. The bottom is dry and 



