18 THE BACTEEIA OF THE APIARY. 



Litmus milJc. — In this medium coagulation takes place, accompanied bj 

 reduction of the litmus. Reaction slightly acid. 



Gelatin. — After a day or two infundibuliform liquefaction occurs, being 

 followed by stratiform liquefaction; the liquefied. gelatin is turbid. Growth 

 below this portion Is in the form of small spherical colonies. 



Acid agar. — A white, fleshy, nonviscid growth is observed. 



Indol. — A trace was observed. 



y Urates. — Reduced to nitrites. 



BACTERIA OF THE INTESTINE OF THE HEALTHY HONEY BEE. 



A great many investigations have been made in recent years on the 

 bacteria found present in the intestines of vertebrates (4, 5, 6, Y, 8, 

 9), and striking similarities are noticed in the species found in many 

 of them. In this investigation the intestinal contents of about 150 

 bees, mostly from one apiary, have been studied more or less thoroly. 

 Several species which are found to be constant in many of the verte- 

 brates are found in the intestine of the honey bee. Since the tem- 

 perature of the bee approximates much of the time, especially when 

 in the hive, that of the warm-blooded animals, many of the same 

 species of bacteria inhabit the intestine of this insect as are found 

 thriving in the same locality in man and other^ animals. A stained 

 cover-glass preparation made directly from a healthy adult field bee 

 reveals, almost without exception, a multitude of bacteria. 



In a study of the bacterial flora stress has been placed upon the 

 different species which were found to be more or less constant, rather 

 than upon the actual number of bacteria oi- species in any quantity 

 of material from a single bee. From the observations which have 

 been made, it appears that the number of species in any individual 

 is comparatively small, but the number of bacteria is in many cases 

 very large. Sometimes, however, the plates show very few colonies, 

 while cover-glass preparations show a very large number of bacteria. 

 These organisms are probably the anaerobe, which is quite constant, 

 as shown by cultures made direct from the intestine into glucose agar 

 (Liborius's method). 



When a loopful of the material from the intestine was used for the 

 inoculation, the following data give the approximate findings : 



Bee No. 1, 300 to 400 yellow colonies, probably alilie. 



Bee No. 2, a few colonies of fungi only. 



Bee No. 3, 500 colonies, mostly yeast. 



Bee No. 4, 100 or more colon-like colonies. 



Bee No. 5, 2,000 or more, mostly yellow. 



Bee No. 6, 20 or more colonies, mostly yeasts. 



Bee No. 8, 400 or more yellow colonies. 



Bee No. 9, 30 yeasts with a few fungi. 



Bee No. 10, 50 yeast colonies with a few fungi. 



Bee No. 11, no growth. 



Bee No. 12, 300 colonies, slightly yellow. 



