The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-02-06
s3pne and Garm.
Mode Of Communicating
E.rsousr Rec.

Mode Of Communicating
Among Bee.
r,o-ss,a-,- IA Araerlc Pc Journal.
Like every other animal living in
societv, bees hsve rediam OF com
muuication. The Effects produced
poon ihem by the loss Of their queen
viii furnish proof Of tnis fzct. In .
veH-peop.ed and thriving hive, eaci
bee is employed IN its appropriate sv
ocAtion, some in attending the young
some IN making cells At FIRST Wher
the queen has been abstracted' every
thing goes on well .or about an Lour
after this time, some few Of the Tcrk
ers appear in a state Of grea! aGlta
ton, they forsske the young, stop
their labor, and begin TO traverse the
hive in a furious manner. In their
progress wherever they meet com
lanion, they cross their antenne' ana
the one thst seems to lave dIscoTered
the national loss, communicates the
bsd news to its n,ighbor, by givirg Il
a genie tap with these oSgsns. This
one in It's turn becomes sgiiated, runs
over the combs crossing and striking
Others. Thus, in a short time, the
whole hive is thrown into a confusion,
everything is neglected, and the hum
ming may be heard ct q distance.
This agitation lasts from four to live
hours. after which the bees are csim
ed, and begin 20 adopt the MEASURES
which are necessary to repair their
loss.
That the agitation OF the bees
crises from the loss OF the queen
scarcely sdmits of doubt. 4 csn-
not doubt" says Huber, "that the az
Itation arises from the loss OF the
queen for on restoring her, tran
guilty is instantly Te-established
among them, aid, --'ss is singular,
they recogRiss a~5." is expression
must be interpreted literally, for the
substitution of another queen is not
attended with the came effect, if she
be introduced into the hive in the
next twenty four hours after the re-
moval of the reigning one. Here the
agitation continues, and the bees treat
the stranger just as they do when the
presence Of their Own queen leaves
them nothing 10 desire.
Huber introduced fertile queen,
eleven months old, INTO hive which
had lost its own tweoty-fonr hours be
fore. Immediately on placing her on
the comb the workers which were
near the spot touched her with their
attenns and passing their trunks over
ner body, gave her honey. Then :
.hese these gave place to others who
reated her in exactly the same man
Ter. Vibrating their wings ct once,
hey all arranged themselves around
heir adopted sovereign, hence result u
d kind of agitation, which was
,radualIy communicated TO other
workers on the same comb, and in
iuced them TO come and reconnoiter,
n their turn, what was going on.
'hese arriving, and breaking through .,
he circle that formed the foremost :
anks, approaching the queen, touched -
er with their antenne, and gave her :,
eney. After this little ceremony, :,
hey retired, and placing themselves :,
ehind the others where they vIbrated ::
heir wings without tumult or disor- . :,
Ter. When she began to move they !
we're SO far from opposing her pro
,ress, that they opened the circle at
hat part toward which she turned, :,
ollowed her and surrounded her with
guard. :.
That antipathy of queens is uatur-
!, is proved by the fact that it holds
ood even against the almost univer- =
Il instinct of maternal feeling. The :; =
ueen bee, lays the eggs, which in due . .,
me are destined to bring forth other -.
ueens. 1t might be supposed that, fir
this case, the feeling of mother 4
ould have their full sway not so. .,
$ soon as her young are about 10 a. A,
lme q shape hike her own, even 70,
hen they are yet in their crsdle, and bo
capable of self-defence, she is stim- i,
ated to the utmost fury by their No,
resence; she tears open the cells M;
hich contain them, and kills her sc
Tn offspring. Whatever may be %
Ie motive to such an action, we must ~,
gard it as intended to answer Other M,
1rposes than gratifying the revenge
the poor insect. 1t forms a part
{ the economy of nature. 1t is evil
emily the intention of the author oil i,
ature that tins should take place, for -
j especial provision appears TO be o.
ade for such an attack on the young -
mems. The cocoon which the royal -
rub spins differs from that spun by -;
10 worker grub. The latter is closed g.
every direction, so that the silk a.
,ating would ward of the sting. The
'rmer, on the contrary, is left open -: ~
i'd uncovered on the only part OF
le body which is vulnerab.e-the v"
yer rings of the belly. 'Pi