
THE PARASITES OF THE HONEY-BEE. 195 
ently for the pleasure and excitement it gives, rather than to 
procure for himself food. This insurmountable passion he 
gratifies without the least fear of plunging from the great 
height to which he soars, whizzing through the air swifter 
than the torrent into which he rushes, making the water foam 
around him. Night often overtakes him in the heat of the 
pursuit, and not until the last ray of light has disappeared in 
the west does he forsake the chase. His day’s hunt over, he 
perches upon some tree bordering upon the shore of the river 
or coast of the sea, and remains through the night. He is 
awakened by the freshness of the morning air and the roar 
of the long rolling waves when their irresistible columns 
meet the shore and are broken. He rises and shakes the 
dews of night from his feathers, gives them a few touches 
with his bill, and again goes forth, rejoicing in his strength, 
over waters filled with a superabundance of food. 

THE PARASITES OF THE HONEY-BEE. | 
: “By ‘A. S. PACKARD, JR; 
Very few bee-keepers are probably aware how many 
Insect parasites infest the Honey-bee. In our own. literature 
we hear almost nothing of this subject, but in’ Europe much 
has been written on bee parasites. From Dr. Edward 
Assmuss’ little work on “the Parasites of the Honey-bee,” 
we glean many of the facts now presented, and which can- 
hot fail to interest the general reader as well as the owner of 
bees. 
, The study of the habits of animal’ parasites has of late 
gained much attention among’ naturalists, and both the 
honey and wild bees afford good examples of the singular 
relation between the host and the parasites which live upon it. 
Mong insects generally, there are certain species -which 
