GROWTH AND FEEDING OF HONEYBEE LARVAE. 
29 
/o 
obtained in the observations are presented in Tables 5 to 7 and in 
Figures 12 and 13. 
NUMBER OF VISITS. 
Observations were made for each group of larva 3 to determine the 
actual number of visits of nurse bees to the eggs and larva 3 under 
observation, each egg or larva being watched individually for a 
10-minute period, as previously stated. The data given in tables 5 
to 7 show the details of these observations. The average number of 
visits Jor a 10-minute period to the egg and to larvae of ages from 1 day 
to 5 davs were, respectivelv. as follows: 5.93, 6.40, 5.79. 8.08. 14.47, 
19.83 (table 6 and fig. 12) . * Of the visits listed as Inspection. Type A. 
there is no great change in the number as the larvae increase in size 
and age, the slight variations being probably without great sig- 
nificance (Table 5). The number of visits listed as Inspection, Type 
B. increases as the larva? grow larger and older, while the number of 
visits listed as nursing, in which the nurse bee stays in the cell at 
least two seconds, show no great significant variation until the fourtl 
day of larval life, when there is a great increase in the number, fol- 
lowed by still further 
increase on the fifth day. 
It is significant that 
there is no marked de- 
crease in the total num- 
ber of visits on the sec- 
ond day of larval life, 
although, as will be dis- 
cussed later, there is at 
this time a decrease in 
the amount of nursing. 
From the foregoing it 
readily can be seen that 
the egg and larva are under the almost constant observation of the 
nurse bees, and that under such a system of visitations there is little 
likelihood of any individual being overlooked for any considerable 
length of time. 
TIME SPENT IN NURSING. 
Observations were also made for each age to determine the total 
time spent by the nurse bees with the eggs and larva? under observa- 
tion, each egg or larva being also watched for a 10-minute period. 
The details are given in Table 5. The average time in seconds spent by 
nurse bees for a 10-minute period with the eggs and larvae of ages from 
1 to 5 davs were, respectivelv. as follows: 6.5, 20.73, 5.93, 11.42, 41. 
118.08 (Table 7 and fig. 13)/ It should be noted that the visits here 
discussed are only those listed as nursing, and no account is here 
taken of the shorter visits listed as inspection of the two types. 
There is observed a decided increase in the amount of time spent in 
nursing as the larva? grow in size and age. the outstanding exception 
being for larva? 2 days of age, which will be discussed later. The 
total time spent in feeding during the five days of larval life is (>.57 
per cent of the whole time, while on the fifth day, when the larvae 
are largest and require the most food for their development, the 
,(us^ 
V> / 2 & <9- & 
Fig. 12. — Showing the relation of the number of vis- 
its made in nursing: honeybee larva? per 10-minute 
period to age. (Table 6.) 
