Isle of Wight Disease in Hive Bees. 49 



21st June. — A dead bee from infected lot was examined ; spores were 

 found in colon, but not in chyle-stomach. Many cells of the chyle-stomach 

 showed intra-cellular stages (J. A. and J. E.). 



1st July 1915. — On 30th June, two bees were found dead. When 

 examined on this date a few spores were found in both, and a great many 

 young stages were seen, especially in one bee. A stained smear showed 

 many meronts within the cells, there being frequently four parasites in one 

 cell (J. E. and J. A.). 



This infection experiment, through pressure of other duties, was allowed 

 to come to an end about this time. But the dead bees were preserved, and 

 in September they were found to contain Nosema spores in great abundance. 

 At this latter date, however, several attempts to produce infection by means 

 of these spores failed. 



II. WtJi September 1915. — On this date thirty bees from Craihstone 

 No. Al (a stock originally Italian, but now consisting entirely of black bees) 

 were confined in a small cage," and fed on spore-infected material mixed with 

 honey. The spore material was obtained from the 14th June experiment. 

 Five bees were killed and their chyle-stomachs pulped and examined, before 

 infection, for Nosema spores. Eesult — negative (J. A. and J. E.). 



On 21st, the bees were again fed with the spore-laden material. Up 

 to 25th the behaviour of the bees was normal; they fed freely, and 

 were quite active. There had been no mortality except in the case of 

 three, which died on the 21st. In one of these ingested spores were found. 



On 26th, one bee died and one was killed. No spores were found in 

 either of these. 



On 28th September, two died and two were in a weakly state. No spores 



were found in any of these. 



On 29th, one died and no spores were found. The bees were fed on 



Scholtz candy. 



The intestine in the last examined bee was whitish, and not unlike the 

 appearance of a Nosema infection, but, as stated, spores were not observed. 



On 7th October, fourteen bees which had died were pulped. These were 

 black bees : no Nosema spores were found. 



It is clear from the foregoing that the spores used in this experiment 



failed to infect. 



III. On 30th September, a small lot of Welsh bees were caged and fed on 

 JVosema-infected material of 15th June. Spores were present in the material 

 fed. A similar number of bees were caged as a control, and fed on clean 

 candy. Feeding with the infected material, in the case of the first lot, was 

 continued on the 1st and 2nd October, after which clean candy was given. 



VOL. XX. ° 



