20 



len, that somelimes is found in the bee-hives. Seen in the light 

 of our own findings this theory affords great in terest. 



Among theories of a still earlier date is the one of Bennemann and 

 Hubnek (see Zandek 28)particnlarly interesting. Paralysis worked great 

 havoc in the apiaries aronnd Greifswald in the spring 1880. They give 

 the following description of the disease (pag. 22): »Es krochen dort eine 

 Menge Bienen auf der Erde umher, die je länger, je mehr zunahmen, 

 sodass sie zuletzt nicht mehr nach Tansenden, sondern fast nach 

 Schwärmen gezählt werden mussten. Diese Bienen waren alle nor- 

 mal gebildet, aber flugunfähig. Bei ihrem Hervorkommen aus dem 

 Stocke krochen sie träge auf dem Flugbrette hin, fielen beim Ab- 

 fliegen wenige Schritte vof dem Kasten auf die Erde und rannten 

 unter vergeblichen Versuchen zum Auffliegen den Tag hindurch 

 umher, zogen sich am Abend ermattet und entkräftet in Häufchen 

 zusammen und starben dann in der Nachtkuhle; einige erreichten 

 aber auch noch den folgenden Morgen». It is added that the 

 bodies of the bees were »etwas aufgedunsen». When the bodies 

 were examined the abdomens were found to be full of spores of a 

 1'ungus which låter on was identified with Mucor Mucedo. Thefun- 

 gus penetrated the abdominal wall especially between the tracheal 

 tubes and covered the body with a grayish coating on the outside. 

 The authors regarded this mould as the cause of the disease, but 

 Zandek denies any connection between the fungus and the paraly- 

 sis assuring that Nosema brought about the disease. The Benne- 

 mann and Hubner theory, although not tenable is very interesting 

 as it is the first one to give expression lo the belief that paralysis 

 is due to a fungus. It will be referred to once more in the follow- 

 ing. 



A few other theories, totally imaginary, have sometimes found 

 ready listeners among practical bee-keepers, for instance the ones 

 that ascribe everything to »sour» water, or (Gerstunu 10) to insuf- 

 licient food during the time of the development of the bee. Even 

 more prevalent is the idea that pollen from certain plants causes 

 the trouble. There is hardly any plant that has kept clear from 

 suspicions. Zander quite correctly remarks (28, pag. 3) that while 

 these plants may occur over wide areas and thus be in a position 

 to bring on paralysis all over the disease is confined to certain 

 localities. Hence in German often named »Ortskrankheit». 



The theory that Bacillus Gaytoni Cheshire is the cause of para- 

 lysis has come from America but, as White (25) remarks, »this is 



