286 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXIV, No. 4 
he used the room temperature for the cold junction of his thermocouple. 
This cold junction was not controlled at a constant temperature, but was 
subject to fluctuations due to changes in the temperature of the room 
and also to the heat conducted along the short platinum wire from the 
bee which was pierced and from the hand with which the thermocouple 
was held while piercing the bees and taking the readings. Thus fluctua¬ 
tions in readings which Brunnich attributed to fluctuations of the tem¬ 
perature of the bee were more probably due to the fluctuations in the 
temperature of the cold junctions. 
The author obtained very uniform results by using refined thermo¬ 
couple methods and by having the cold junction in ice and water, keeping 
it constantly at o° C. 
CONCLUSIONS 
From the foregoing results the following conclusions were made: 
The average body temperature of the bee is 4.7° C, above that of the 
surrounding air when the air temperature is 5.5"^ and coincides with the 
air temperature when that is between 35° and 44^. 
At 52° C. or above the temperature of the bee’s body is lower than that 
of the air if not exposed to the high temperature for a long period of time. 
The maximum fatal temperature of bees is about 46° to 48° C., and the 
freezing point is about —1°. 
There is no appreciable difference between the body temperature of 
the Carniolian and Italian bees. 
Bees are not wholly subject to the temperature of their environment, 
but are capable within certain limits of regulating their body temperature. 
The ability of a colony to regulate its temperature is undoubtedly due 
to the ability of the individual to regulate its body temperature plus 
the ability to regulate and conserve the heat produced. 
LITERATURE CITED 
(1) Bachmetjew, P. 
1899. Ober dir temperatur der insekten nach beobachtungen in bul- 
GARiEN. In Ztschr. Wiss. Zool., Bd. 66, p. 521-604, 5 fig. Littera- 
turverzeichnis, p. 601-604. 
(2) - 
1901. EXPERIMENTEDLE ENTOMOLOGISCHE STUDIEN. BD. I. TEMPERATURVER- 
haltnisse bei insekten. ix, 160 p., 7 fig. Leipzg. Litteraturver- 
zeichnis, p. 148-158. 
(3) Brunnich, K. 
1919. die temperatur des bienenueibes und der bienenbrut. In Ztschr. 
Angew. Ent., Bd. 6, p. 84-92, 3 fig. 
(4) Davy, John. 
1826. observations sur da temperature de d’homme ET des animaux 
DE DIVERS GENRES. In Ann. Chim. et Phys., S6r. 2, tome 33, p. 
181-197. 
(5) Donhopp 
1857. beitrage zur bienenkunde (xxiv). In Bienen-Ztg., Bd. 13, p. 
199-201. 
( 6 ) - 
1872. beitrage zur physiologie. In Arch. Anat. Physiol, und Wiss. Med., 
Jahrg. 1872, p. 724-728. 
(7) Dutrochet 
1840. RECHERCHES SUR DA CHADEUR PROPRE DES JeTRES VIVANS A BASSE 
TEMP]&RATURE. In Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot., S6r. 2, tome 13, p. 5-49, 
65-85. 
(8) Dzierzon 
1856. bei WEDCHER TEMPERATUR KOnNEN DIE BIENEN BESTEHEN? /ft Bienen- 
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