56 



for one or the other of them. Careful examination will soon determine 

 whether dead brood is the result of disease or merely some outside change. 

 If brood dies from chilling or some other such cause, it is usually soon carried 

 out by the workers, and the trouble disappears. No treatment is necessary. 

 Brood which dies from external causes often produces a strong odour in the 

 colony, but wholly unlike that of American foul-brood — merely that of 

 decaying matter. The colour of such brood varies, but the characteristic 

 colours of the infectious diseases are usually absent, the ordinary colour 

 of dead brood being more nearly grey. 



Palsy or Paralysis. 



The disease known to apiarists as palsy ar paralysis attacks adult bees. 

 The name is suggestive of the symptoms manifested by the diseased bees. 

 A number of bees afiected were received from apiaries in New York State 

 in 1903 ; bacteriological examinations were made, and several species of 

 bacteria were isolated and some experimental inoculations made, but no 

 conclusions as to the cause of this disorder could be drawn from the results 

 obtained. 



From a study of the normal flora of the bee it was soon foimd that there 

 were quite a number of species of bacteria present. This fact stimulated 

 a study of the normal flora. . . . From this point the work can be 

 carried on with the hope that if the disease has a bacterium as an etiological 

 factor it may be found. 



This disease sometimes, though rarely, makes its appearance in New 

 Zealand. Some years ago I was consulted about a severe case that occurred 

 in an apiary in the Nelson District, where a number of colonies were afiected, 

 and the owner had tried several remedies. I suggested sprinkling the bees 

 with finely powdered sulphur, having seen it recommended in one of the 

 American bee journals a short time before ; the owner of the bees tried this, 

 and subsequently reported that it had efiected a complete cure. 



It is said that the disease is never transmitted by the brood or combs ; 

 the brood can, therefore, be taken away and given to other colonies without 

 risk so long as no dead bees are transferred with them ; the bees can then 

 be treated by themselves. It would no doubt be safer where there were 

 only one or two colonies attacked to smother the old bees after removing 

 the brood, and thoroughly disinfect the hive. 



VII. THE LARGE BEE OE WAX MOTH {Galleria 

 mellonella, Linn.). 



The first intimation of this moth's presence in New Zealand was when 

 Messrs. H. Betts and Son, of Okaiawa, near Mount Egmont, in the early 

 part of 1904-, sent me some larvto or grubs found in their hives, and which 

 were strange to them. I had no difficulty in recognising them as the grubs 



