CHAPTEK XXXIV. 



FOUL-BROOD — INFECTIOUS DISEASE OF BEES IN ITALY — PEBRINE — 



flacherie — infectious disease of caterpillars. 



Foul-brood in Bees. 



Foul-brood is a contagious disease attacking bees and especially the 

 larvae. The larvse rapidly lose their healthy appearance, die and 

 decompose, turning into a coffee-coloured mass. The cells of the 

 honeycomb are mapped out by the dark-brown cappings of the cells 



Fig. 192.— Diseased Comb (Gow.is). 



containing the diseased larvae. The decomposition is associated with 

 the production of an unpleasant odour, which can be detected at 

 some distance from an infected hive. The disease has been known 

 from very early times. Preuss investigated it microscopically, and 

 attributed it to " micrococci." These were really the spores of a 

 bacillus, which was first observed by Cohn. Later, Cheshire and 



4(i9 



