BETTS : THE FUNGI OF THE BEE-HIVE. 135 
tures at room temperature and at 26°—42° C. also had rubber caps; 
it is probable that they did not at all accurately reproduce the con- 
ditions prevailing in the healthy stock, perhaps because the air in 
them was too moist. At any rate, fungi which are known to be 
capable of growth (or at the least of survival in the form of spores) 
in the hive in summer, were killed in the high temperature series, 
even in cases where the maximum temperature attained probably 
did not exceed 38° C. 
Fungi are found growing on various substrata in the hive. The 
stored pollen is perhaps the chief; it is the chosen pabulum of 
Pericystis alvei (4), and possibly of other species also. The most 
luxuriant and conspicuous fungous growth in the hive is usually 
to be found upon it. The rubbish, consisting largely of fragments 
of waste wax, which accumulates on the hive-floor, is full of spores, 
and is often over-grown by a film of mycelium. These are the only 
situations in which fungi can establish themselves in healthy stocks; 
dead bees, which form an excellent substratum, are usually ejected 
from the hive before any fungi can develop on them. In hives 
where the bees have died, however, almost any of the contents may 
become mouldy. (The exception is the honey, which appears to be 
immune from the attacks of fungi other than some yeast-forms which 
cause it to ferment’). In particular, when the stock has succumbed 
to the ‘“‘Isle of Wight ’’ disease, and the cluster has died in situ 
during the winter, many fungi flourish on the dead bees adhering to 
the combs; several of these have not been met with in other situations | 
in the hive. 
But little. is known as to the sources from which the various 
fungi are brought into the hive. Some are probably not found 
elsewhere, and must be carried from hive to hive principally by the 
bees themselves. That swarms do carry fungus spores with them, 
as was suggested in the case of Pericystis alvei (4), has been con- 
firmed by an experiment made in May, 1912. Bees, taken direct 
from a swarm, were shaken up in two flasks and a large test-tube 
containing some honey gelatine; the bees were then liberated, and 
the vessels put aside at room temperature for a few days. No 
growth resulted. in the tube, perhaps because the laver of gelatine 
was thin and became too dry for germination to take place. In 
the flasks, however, Cilromyces sublilis,*? Aspergillus. gluucus, and 
1No attempt has been made in this paper to deal with the hive yeasts; but several 
species are known to be present, either constantly or occasionally. 
This Citvomyces had the morphological characters’ of the species believed to be 
identical with C. subtilis; its acid-producing capacities were not, however, investigated. 
