40 Poisonous Arthropods 



injections of bee-sting poison were then discontinued. At the end 

 of a month they were repeated at intervals of four or five days. 

 Again, after two or three weeks the itching sensation came on, but 

 it was less pronounced. The patient was given a rest of about a 

 month, when the doses were repeated as before." By this course 

 of treatment the young man became so thoroughly immunized that 

 neither unpleasant results nor swelling followed the attacks of the 

 insects and he is able to handle bees with the same freedom that any 

 experienced bee-keeper does. 



In an interesting article in the Entomological News for November, 

 1 9 14, J. H. Lovell calls attention to the fact that "There has been a 

 widespread belief among apiarists that a beekeeper will receive more 

 stings when dressed in black than when wearing white clothing. 

 A large amount of evidence has been pubKshed in the various bee 

 journals showing beyond question that honey-bees under certain 

 conditions discriminate against black. A few instances may be 

 cited in illustration. Of a flock of twelve chickens running in a bee- 

 yard seven black ones were stung to death, while five light colored 

 ones escaped uninjured. A white dog ran among the bee-hives 

 without attracting much attention, while at the same time a black 

 dog was furiously assailed by the bees. Mr. J. D. Byer, a prominent 

 Canadian beekeeper, relates that a black and white cow, tethered 

 about forty feet from an apiary, was one afternoon attacked and 

 badly stung by bees. On examination it was found that the black 

 spots had five or six stings to one on the white. All noticed this fact, 

 although no one was able to offer any explanation. A white horse 

 is in much less danger of being stung, when driven near an apiary, 

 than a black one. It has, indeed, been observed repeatedly that 

 domestic animals of all kinds, if wholly or partially black, are much 

 more liable to be attacked by bees, if they wander among the hives, 

 than those which are entirely white. 



In order to test the matter experimentally, the following series 

 of experiments was performed. In the language of the investi- 

 gator : 



"On a clear, warm day in August I dressed wholly in white with 

 the exception of a black veil. Midway on the sleeve of my right arm 

 there was sewed a band of black cloth ten inches wide. I then 

 entered the bee-yard and, removing the cover from one of the hives, 

 lifted a piece of comb with both hands and gently shook it. Instantly 

 many of the bees flew to the black band, which they continued to 



