Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16


along with some carrier pigeons and as
surprised when informed that the bees were
the first to arrive, making the
FUR MILES IN SIX MINUTES.
"a bee has six legs, and in the hind pair
of the workers the middle portion is hol-
lowed into a triangle cavity or basket, sur
rounded with thickly set hairs. In this
pouch are carried the pollen and other
feet are little hooks, by which
they adhere to the hive and to each other
during the wax secreting process. The other
pairs of feet have brush of hairs, by means
Of which they collect and brush off the poIlen
from their bodies when they arrive at the
hive. The bee has two stomachs. The first
is large membranous bag for the reception
of the honey. Its walls are muscular and
able TO throw the honey back into the mouth
for filling the cells. I often wondered how
much honey a bee could carry at a load, and
by observing one taking up dew from large
leaf think some estimate can be made.
This one took up six drops Of dew in sue
cession, and as there are sometimes 40. 900
bees to hive, it is not surprising that they
have been known to add "a pounds to the
hive in single day. OF course, this would
include pollen and other hive materials.
Digestion is performed in the second stom-
ach. 1t is of cylinder shape communicating
with the first stomach and with the intestines
by projecting valvular apparatus with
very small opening, which prevents the re-
gurgitation Of the food.
BEE GOVERNMENT.
GA hive of bees consists of three kinds
females, males and workers. The females
are called queens, not more than one Of
which can reign in the same hive, one being
all that is necessary to establish and Keep
mp the hive. The males are called drones
and may exist by hundreds or even thou-
sands, but the workers are the most numer-
Gus. Their sexual organs are not fully de-
veloped and 1t, therefore, devolves upon the
queen to lay the eggs, which feat she accom-
plishes at the rate of 200 day. The males
do not work and are of no use except to i'm
pregnate the queen, after which they die or
are killed of, they having no sting to pro-
tect themselves; but the queen and workers
are armed with very formidable
weapon, which consists of an exten-
sile sheath enclosing two needle-shaped
darts placed side by side. Toward the end
they have teeth like saw, owing to which
fact they are sometimes unable to withdraw
their sting, the loss of which causes their
OWN death. An acrid poison is squeezed
into the wound from bag near the base,
and is so deadly that single sting almost
instantly kills bee, and animals, and even
men have been known to succumb to the
combined attack of a swarm of these little
furies.
"There used to be considerable mystery
about the rearing of the queen, as the eggs
and Larvae of the royal family do not differ
IN appearance from the workers, but the
young are more carefully nursed and fed
with a more stimulating kind of food, which
causes them to grow rapidly and develops
-. the sexual organs, so that IN the short space
Of 16 days they become
A PERFECT QUEEN.
'But as only one queen can reign at a
time in hive, the young ones are kept
close prisoners and carefully guarded
against the attacks of the queen mother, but
if swarm is not to be sent of, the queen is
allowed to approach the royal babes and
sting them to death while they are vet
prisoners in the cells. Should the old
queen depart with a swarm, a young one
is liberated, who Immediately seeks the de-
struction of her sisters, but is prevented by
the guards. If she runs off with swarm
another one is liberated, and SO on until
further swarming is impossible. Then this
reigning queen is allowed to kill all her re-
manning sisters; but if two queens should |
happen to be liberated at the same
time they Immediately begin a NOR
tai combat, and 10 the victor belongs |
the spoils. The other bees form |
q ring and excite and urge their tavorite to |
their utmost, no doubt stalking their piles of |
golden jewels on the result When the |
queen is finally impregnated then the work |
ers commence murderous assault upon the |
males and they are massacred without mer- |
cy and their bodies elected from the hive. |
If the hive is without a queen they are |
allowed to survive the winter, although the |
loss OF the queen throws the hive into the |
utmost CONSERVATION. They rush from the /
hive and seek the queen in all directions.
and should their be no eggs nor brood in the |
hive they become insane, NOPE about doing
no work and finally all perish, but if there
be brood in the comb they select grub not
more than three days old, sacrifice the sur
rounding cells that the cell of the grub may
be made into a royal apartment, supply it
with the peculiar stimulating jelly reserved
for the queens. and at the end of 16
days the Larvae of worker is changed into
8 prolific queen"
'In conclusion, said the bee farmer, ''the
ablest chemists have been baffled in their
endeavors to manufacture this wonderful
golden food" j. W. A.