The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-07-05
the sting, as the honey bee nearly al.

the sting, as the honey bee nearly al
| ways does in singing an animal, part
of the intestines was supposed to be
left with the sting, poison sac, ETC.,
from which it was argued that the bee
could not live. This seemed so rea-
| sonable that l formerly believed that the
idea which prevailed was true. till one
day after bee had stung me, leaving
its sting, it came TO the attack again and
again, with all the fury and vengeance
! possible for bee to work itself up to,
getting in my hair and singing away as
only an angry bee can sing, which will
make the cold chills run up and down
the back of the most hardened individ-
ual. AS this bee apparently had no
thought of diving, it was caught and
Gagged with two or three others aud kept
week or SO to see what would become
of the matter. At the end of the week
, 1t was apparently just as lively and
healthy as any of the rest, when all of
the bees were set at liberty.
| At another time, in putting up queens
to send away, in catching the escort bees
which were to so with the queen, one OF
them stung me on the end of one OF my
/ fingers, leaving Its sting, when it i'm
me diately ran into the cage. AS l did
not wish to remove all the bees and
II
after which the thought came to me that
! here would be a chance to test the
theory of the death of the bee from los
| ing its sting. as this queen was going to
| Texas, which journey would require
from eight to ten days time. Accord
, ingly | wrote to the party to whom they
were sent, telling him about the mat
| ter, and asking him to take notice par
| ticularly when the queen arrived ana
see II their We're any dead bees III tue
cage. In due time he replied that the
queen arrived in splendid shape, and
| that there was not a dead bee In the
| cage. Several times since then L have
tried similar ways to see if such bees as
had lost their stings were III any way
! Inconvenience thereby, and as far as |
! can tell by contining them so as to know
! tina: | have the same bee, | can see no
difference between such bees and those
! which have their stlugs, as to length OF
| lie. Whether they gather honey or
! not. or whether they are allowed to live
In the hive without their weapon of
! defense, is something which would be
! next to, if not quite impossible to tell.
I for in this case we have no means of
! keeping track OF the individual bee.
! AS bees are not tolerated in the hive,
/ which are IN any ways imperfect, 1t
X IulPul not De uHfeaSODaplc 10 SuHpost
that the perfect ones might drive off
such a one which had lost its sting, as
J, being incapable of defense were the
! hive attacked. That it was not the de-
| sign of nature for the bee to always
/ lose it's sting when defending its hive,
is manifest where bees repel robbers 10
! the extent of hundreds and thousands
. of slaughtered ones, when In such cases
: not one bee in one thousand loses It's
;. sting, but keeps 1T SO that 1t can slaugh-
! ter bee alter bee TIL the attacking parry
. is repe'led or they lose their lives III
|! the combat At times they do lose then
stings in other bees, but not often. A
4 theory has lately been advanced that
bees use their stings in ripening honey,
. and for polishing the Gaping to the
! same, but so far the most of our practi-
cal apiarlsts consider the same as faI-
lacious. | have carefully watched fol
any proof to suhstantiate the truth OF
this theory, yet so far can see nothing
! which even points that wAy.-Americar
I Rurdt Home.