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AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



seals being bright, full, and of convex form, character- 

 istic of healthy brood, they are of a dull blackish 

 brown colour, and flat or sunken, an indication that the 

 cells contain dead pupae. The disease rapidly spreads 

 to surrounding cells and combs, if allowed to take its 

 course, till finally no brood can emerge, and the colony 

 succumbs. On opening some of the cells a thin glue- 

 like, pale coffee-coloured mass will be noticed, which 

 on the insertion of a splinter of wood adheres to the 

 point, and can be drawn rope-like for some little 

 distance out of the cells. This is one of the most 

 distinctive features of foul-brood prevalent in New 

 Zealand, and where present is considered conclusive 

 evidence of the disease. Later on this glue-like sub- 

 stance dries up into a black scale-like body. 



Fig. 79. PORTION OF DISEASED COMB. 



Other symptoms are " pin-holes " and ragged per- 

 forations in the cappings of the cells, and a very 

 disagreeable smell resembling that of heated glue or 

 tainted meat, which may be sometimes, though rarely, 

 detected at some yards away from a badly infected hive 

 in close weather. The characteristic odour cannot 

 easily be detected in the earliest stages, even when an 

 infected comb is placed close to the nose, but some 

 slight difference can be noticed between that and 

 healthy comb at all times. 



