i6 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



hundredths ot an inch and a total length 

 of from 24 to 25 hundredths and an aver- 

 age of 24.5 hundredths. 



Another lot gave a tongue-reach of 

 from 14 to 16 hundredths of an inch and 

 a total length of from 23.5 to 24 hund- 

 redths, and an average of 23.9 huiidied- 

 ths. 



A third lot gave a tongue-reach vary- 

 ing between 16 and 19 hundredths of an 

 inch and a uniform total length of 24 

 hundredths. 



The lot which gave an average tongue- 

 length of 24.5 hundredths seemed to 

 have some Italian blood. 



Carniolan Bees: — I have had but one 

 lot of Carniolans. The range of tongue- 

 reach in these was between 21 and 22 

 hundredths of an inch and the total 

 length of tongue varied between 25.5 and 

 26 hundredths of an inch, with an average 

 of 25.6 hundredths. 



Italiati Bees: — Tongues from 24 lots of 

 Italian workers have been measured. 

 These have come from various parts of 

 the United States. I'sually from five to 

 ten bees were taken for this purpose from 

 each of the lots sent. Some of these bees 

 were rather dark and others were usually 

 yellow, "golden Italians." Those hav- 

 ing most yellow upon the abdomen did 

 not have longer tongues than others. 



In the table on the preceding page; I 

 have given the variations in tongue- 

 length and tongue-reach, and also the 

 average of these measurements in the sev- 

 eral lots of bees received. 



SOME CONCLUSIONS. 



An examination of the table will 

 show that the entire tongue-length (from 

 tip of ligula to base of submentum ) has 

 varied in these measurements between 

 24.50 and 26.50 hundredths of an inch in 

 Italians; between 25 and 27 hundredths 

 in, Cyprians; between 23.50 and 25 hun- 

 dredths in Blacks; and between 25.50 

 and 26 hundredths in one small lot of 

 Carniolans. If we consider the length of 

 ligula alone we shall see that it would 

 vary between 16 and 17.50 hundredths 



of an inch in the Italians; between 16 

 and iS hundredths in the Cyprians; be- 

 tween 15 and 16 hundredths in Blacks; 

 and between 17 and 17.50 hundredths in 

 the Carniolans. The tongue-reach varied 

 in the Italians between 15 and 22 hun- 

 dredths; in the Cyprians between 19 and 

 23 hundredths; in the Blacks between 

 13.50 and 19 hundredths; and in the 

 Carniolans between 21 and 22 hundred- 

 ths of an inch. 



By striking general averages from the 

 columns of averages we get, for the 

 Italian tongue, 25.47; for the CN'prian 

 26, 12; for the Black, 24.07. 



The extreme variation in tongue- 

 length in the Italian was but .02 of an 

 inch; it was the same in the Cyprians, 

 and was but i-'i hundredths in the 

 Blacks. 



The average tongue-length in the 

 Italian exceeded the average in the 

 Blacks by .014 of an inch; and the Cyp- 

 rian tongues exceeded the Italians by 

 .0065 of an inch. 



By comparing the average tongue- 

 lengths of all that were sent as long- 

 tongued bees with the average length of 

 all bees received, I find a difference in 

 favor of the former of .0004 of an inch. 

 The best average length of any lot sent 

 me as long-tongued was .2555 of an inch, 

 which is but .oooS of an inch longer than 

 the average length of all the bees sent. 

 An examination of the table will show 

 eight lots of Italian bees with an average 

 tongue-length exceeding that of the best 

 lot of ''long-tongued" bees. 



I shall have to conclude that, so far as 

 my study of the subject has gone, there 

 has been no indication of any strain of 

 the common honey bee (Aphis mellifera) 

 worthy of the distinction "long-tongued. ' ' 

 If any of the bees examined are worthy 

 of such a name, it is the Cyprians. It is 

 possible, however, that the average length 

 of tongue in this race may be changed 

 by the examination of more material from 

 other apiaries. 



These facts do not disprove that there 

 may be strains of bees that work more 



