NO. 14 SENSE ORGANS ON MOUTH-PARTS OF BEE McINDOO \J 



Judging from the above table, it is seen that bees prefer pure honey 

 to honeys containing sour substances. 



6. Experiments in Feeding Bees Foods Containing Sodium 



Salts 



Five lots, each containing 15 grams of cane-sugar candy, were each 

 thoroughly mixed respectively with 500 milligrams of the following 

 finely pulverized and chemically pure salts : sodium chloride (common 

 salt), sodium sulphite, sodium nitrate, sodium carbonate and sodium 

 fluoride. Each one of these mixtures was then divided into five equal 

 parts. Each of the salts used has a faint odor and no two have odors 

 alike, and the odor of each mixture was slightly different from that of 

 pure candy. The taste of the mixture containing sodium chloride was 

 slightly salty and the tastes of the other mixtures were more or less 

 different from that of pure candy ; no two were alike and none was 

 exactly salty. Sodium fluoride has a sharp, astringent taste and seems 

 to burn the mucous membrane. Some of the mixtures absorbed more 

 water vapor from the air than others and some changed slightly in 

 color. All five mixtures and pure cane-sugar candy were fed to fresh 

 bees in the usual manner. At first the bees ate a little of each candy, 

 and before having time to select the ones they liked best, many bees 

 became sick and soon began to die. 



Pure cane-sugar candy and the candy containing sodium chloride 

 were tried alone. Since all these salts were more or less injurious to 

 bees, the first count was made five minutes after introducing the food 

 and thereafter every 15 minutes. As an average for the 100 bees 

 for five counts, 39.6 per cent were seen eating pure cane-sugar candy 

 and 5.8 per cent eating the candy containing sodium chloride, making 

 a total average of 45.4 per cent eating at any one count. 



The candies containing sodium carbonate and sodium sulphite were 

 tried alone. As an average for the 100 bees for five counts, 9 per cent 

 were observed eating the latter mixture, but only 0.6 per cent eating 

 the former mixture, making a total average of 9.6 per cent eating at 

 any one count. A half hour after introducing the food, many bees 

 were sick and a half hour still later several were dead. 



The mixture containing sodium nitrate and sodium fluoride were 

 next tried alone. As an average for the 100 bees for five counts, 2.2 

 per cent were seen eating the latter mixture and 9.6 per cent eating 

 the former mixture, making a total average of 11.8 per cent eating 

 at any one count. A half hour after feeding the bees, many became 

 sick and soon began to die. 



