Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-20
THE LITTLE BUSY BEE.
John AspinwaIl Talks in u Very Familiar
way About Him.

john Aspinwaii Talks In Very Familiar
Way About Him.
John Aspinwall of Barrytown, n Y, de-
livered lecture at the Cooper Institute ON
the little busy bee, its anatomy and physi-
ology, and illustrated his remarks by stere-
opticon. views, showing the insect and its
workings in all their details
While in its physical make up the bee is in
many respects the opposite of man in his hab-
its and tricks, he very much resembles the
lord of creation, and were bees to be trans
formed into men some would undoubtedly go
into the police force or in the board Of alder
nen, while there would be not a few successors
to Jake Sharp and to the inexperienced young
toughs who get dubbed by the police and are
then sent up to the penitentiary for dishon-
esty and general sass" The occupations of
walking delegate and dude Washers are also
found in apiarian society.
The little bee, that is, the worker, is
horny skinned child of toll He is incased in
rings and shields of smooth horn to shield
him against attacks of his own species and
he tolls as long as there is light. He has not
got backbone like a man or a mule but in
stead he has little sting that serves his pur-
pose just as WELL and thus manages to main
tain his rights. Between his tongue and
sting there is complicated mechanism that
is of great use to the farmer and to nature
Aside from the honey that he distills, and
which Is worth thousands of dollars annually
to the farmer and to commerce. bis habit of
poking his head into flowers and covering it
with pollen, which he brushes OF in other
flowers, renders him benefactor to nature
in fertilizing flowers. Before the advent of
the bee in Australia it was impossible to get
any seeds of red clover there OF course, his
DrOcaSS Of ms HING bnpau roirhf of r..
most fastidious taste, for honey is partially
digested cane sugar, made so by the aid of
bee saliva, but as the bee is a perfectly clean
little animal that revels in nectar all dsy
long, these little irregularities must be over
looked Besides he Uses a different mouth
for the honey.
The bee is good flyer, but as his wings are
smaller in proportion to his body than are
those of the eagle to the king of birds, he
has to flap them more frequently, so he flaps
away at the rate of 446 flaps to the minute
He has no lungs. but a system of tiny air
tubes extend through all parts of the body,
and these he packs with air when be wants
to fly. Neither has he heart, but a dorsal
vessel that pumps the blood to the head
The head, as maguified on the screen, is not a
beautiful object, and as it is not the center of
the nervous system he would not miss il very
much If cut off if it were not for the ewes.
two of which have 1900 lenses each to see the
honey flowers afar Off, and two others to
assist in doing the microscopal work in the
hive
The entrances to the hive are very care
fully guarded by sentinels, and every bee on
arriving at the door Is challenged by them
with their antennD If he can give the
countersign he is admitted into the sanctuary,
huf ~ be pan no 10 in loOrra- fDr
very nervous insects, and draw stings on the
slightest provocation. The applicant must
be thief and old thieves are detected by ex-
perienced sentnels, but the form of challeng
ing must be gone through first.
The old thief bee is fat and sleek and shin
ing and very suave. If caught by sentipels,
he Will at once try to make deal and offer
the policemen some sugar, and while they are
eating it he either slips in and fllls up at the
cells or he retreats and tries another hive. If
the sentinels are incorruptihle, the thief humps
himself, draws his horny shields tight around
him SO that the stings of the policemen NAV
not penetrate and runs, A young thief
stands up to fight and gets dubbed He
learns by experience
The queen bee has not got such q very easy
time. She has plenty to eat and eats it, and
flies very little; but as she has to lay all the
eSgs Oh the colony, ana o1ten lays more than
her weight of eggs in one day, the bees be-
grudge her nothing but let her have her own
way everywhere.
The drone is the dude and walking delegate
| of the hive. He is not very numerous, how
| ever. He is fat and spends his time eating
honey, flirting with the girls and the queen,
then takes quiet nap in the sun. When his
| charms no longer please he is driven out, and
| if he cannot get berth in another hive he
| starves. The little worker, however, accord
ing to the lecturer, does not fare much better.
| She lives for about six weeks, when she be
| comes feeble, her wings get torn and fringed
| and she lies down to die in the field, refusing
| to return TO the hive and become a burden
| on the colony. New York Times.