The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-21

| spare time in making chronological collections
and studying on that line. There were one or
| two gray-hared men who had spent years in
| acquiring knowledge in this vast field and there
| were several young men who are just starting
out. They brought glass-covered trays filled
with bees-bees Of all kinds. from the
useless wasp to that dainty helper Of
man, the honey bee. There were large glass
cases showing honey bees at work. chasing one
another through the nests, with the queen in
command and there were other cases filed
with the slow-moving and cumbersome bum BILE
bees. building a nest that resembles the honey
bees nest as a rough miners cabin resembles
the fine architecture of a Newport villa.
After looking at this interesting exhibit, the
members of the society listened to paper on
bees read by Mr.. Louis Joulet. Mr. Joulet
knows a great deal a bout bees of all kinds For
years he has kept hives at his house. and has
searched the fields and meadows for new finds
ne thinks i,s, bees know more than many people
lated by all.
The first honey bees in this country were called
the white mans flies by the Indians, because
they were brought from Europe by the early
settlers, The Indians knew that there was an
approach to civilization when they found
swarm OF honey bees. though often the home
was eight miles away;
and showed by Illustrations and exhibits that
they live under well-ordered system. In each
rules 1t by an unquestioned authority; there
are the drones, who do nothing except look
the orsss OF the hS2SSny and there
make wax. feed the young. ventiats the
hive. and furnish protection against all
enemies. The workers are usually barren, but
lay few eggs which produce drones. The
drones when Matched remain but few days in
the queens TO come out and pair. When the
swarming season is over, the drones are killed
cellent reason that they are of no further use
and would only become pensioners on the in
ar IS snsar Sn or
ike many females, she never uses It exceDt
when rom 8r her se e o Leaves the he
drone In the air, and begins To lay thirty-sx
hours later, After meeting the drone she never
leaves the hive except to lead another swarm.
Mr.. Joulet has been interested in watching a
swarm Of bees leave the hive for the honey
heads pointing to the hive. They move further
and further away until they reach their destina-
labor is finished they return in a bee line"
They take observations as carefully a mar
liner in an open sea, and having once determined
swarms often travel five and six miles TO their
feeding ground; u hive is moved the swarm
then they begin search for it, They will fly
straight Sad from their hive and md the little
before in an acre Of hrambles.
Human ingenuity is shown in the ventilation
no machines but their wings When this work
is to be done the bees stand in line at one OF the
move their wings in imitation of flight until
there Is a current of air inside.
The carpenter and mason bees interest Mr.
JOulet. They bore In the pith OF plants and in
decaying wood, making cells of earth and sand
In one season u carpenter bee will bore tunnel
two feet long and one third OF an inch wide in a
piece OF elm wood. In brambles they leave a
long opening from one end OF the nest TO the
other and build side nests. The opening Is so
arranged that bee may leave the place without
disturbing the others.
That terror OF small boys. the bumblebee,
does not have the standing of the honey pro-
ducer among bees, but is nevertheless most
useful insect. IL he ceased his service the croD
OF red clover would he largely lessened. Red
clover OF itself will not reproduce. The humble
bee drops down ON the flower, picks the pollen
from one part and leaves IL on another, and thus
starts the termination. Ii was not until swarms
Of bumblebees were introduced IN Australia
that red clover could he raised in that country