The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
WAYS OF DISS0LUTE BEES.
THEY GO ON PREMEDITiTED JIGS,
4CCOhDING 10 4 NEE FARMER.

The bees alleged perfection Of pOIlcy anu
government has been the themo OF laudation
for centuries" said n wcll-known California
apiarst but truth compels me TO say that this
insect il not the paragon OF virtue and industry
she is universally supposed to be. and many are
her tumbles from the lofty moral perch. use
the female gender adyscdly. The drone is the
male OF the bee tribe. The faNorlte relaxation
of tho bee Is to abandon her moral attitude
altogether and 90 of on spree have seen
bees SO drunk that they could not fly. and In
condition OF mental and physical paralysis duo
to their copious imbibing which would have
killed one of your Bowcry topers with envy.
1T Is n very common thing on California
bee farm to find the trnnsgrcssing honey
makers staggering about on the tops OF flowers
or writhing about in the dust OF roads and per-
forming all the absurd antics OF rum-d azed
man. If tho finger Of scorn is laid upon an In
tuxicated bee. no rescDtment, as conveyed by
stings. will be manifested. the hackslider con-
tenting herself with striking out weakly with
legs and wings. Picked IN and permitted to
crawl upon the naked palm OF human hand.
she will reel about In sinuous curves, buzznR
drowslly and fourshing her mpotent legs in
an idiotic fashion most painful for the en-
thusastic e1ploter of her virtues and rectitude
to behold Or again, when found in the early
stages OF drunkenness. the bee will get upon her
trio dance beating time to her irregular meas
urcs with her other legs. Recovering some-
what from her dcbauch and conscience fayed.
the little drunkard will strike out for home. and
then II Is really u pathetic. IL rather ludicrous
sight her efforts present Blinded and no
doubt racked with pain by her excuses. she
mounts into tho air. instinctively finds her
bearings and then sails slowly away. But 1t is
impossible to follow the usual updeviated bee
line and she circles and whirls about like n
ruddercss ship. dropping down to rest and
recover her senses upon some convenient
fowera dozen times before the goal is reached
Can a bee get drunk on the nectar OF flow
ers ?" asked the reporter
"Possibly.' returned tho aparist. The
saccharnc sccrctons OF some flowers by no
means compose teetotal drink. Honey varies
greatly in quality. some being downright poi
sonOus. as you know. perhaps To refer to n
remote historical period, when Nenophon's
warriors ate the honey they discovered in the
country OF the Cplchians. those who consumed
n very little were made stupidity drunk. while
those who made Giuttons OF themselves were
driven mad. This result has been attributed
to the fact that tho flowers from which tho
bees gathered the honey were rhododendrons
like swamp honeysuckles. for example. 80
there can be no doubt that the honey
States has an intoxicating effect on bees
Then. too. honey may he changed into alcohol.
Germs OF fermentation ar" always floating
n bout in the air and may settle down in the
honey cups which are lreGuentcd Dy bees. The
sweet juices are converted into alcohol. and
the bee inclined to 90 of on hat finds these
TRANSFORMED cups wcll-cquippcd grogGories.
is the bees Jag prcmedtatcdt Yes / am
inclined to think it is. 1t is clear that bees
have the power of smell. although some au-
thoririrs contend that taste is the most imper-
feet of their senses. inasmuch rs they use
hardly any discrimination in the collection OF
honey from different flowers. This contention.
however. ! do not think will invariably hold
good. for bees often exhibit Partially for
certain kinds OF flowers and visit them per-
si,tently to the almost total exclusion OF all
others But leaving taste out OF this question
Of premcdtated bee rags altogether 1t is obvi-
Gus that the sense OF smell teaches the
workers to discriminate between flowers
and to distinguish cup filed with
i"rmented. intoxicating Juice from one
filed with pure innuxOus sweetness.
Thus the abStincnt insect can always avoid the
cup that cheers ana stick To business. while
tn" rcralcltrant in search OF high Old time
NAV fly un"rrnEly to fora tavern and get
drunk a u lord. Another thnG-drunken bees
nave L'eH Ib''bn' I''III 'h' H'''I' ~ ''i''i
h,uch to their hives two miles away Within
r''I'' ~ ~ -,
~" I"r' 90 '"' "'''s "r'' '""''''9H ''''c'-
bearing flowers, 80 why should the toporS have
oOuo -, I,r away from home TO gather sweets
T., ,,,,,., - l.i,,,, 49,,
IL u''' '"r INC S"'' f"' p"S' VI H'A'"| ''Ie't'
selves drunk with fcrm"ntcu Juicesf 1t is
puNshl" that IN" bees drunkenness Is some:
times th" result Of accident rui NOR" often,
am inrlr"l to think. II is ~" result Of lnteIli-
gent ursiSu
Speaking Of the b'"'& sense Of smell re-
minds mo thar som" "dorS. putIcUAgy all
kinds OF smoke. ar" extremely uhnONipuS 10
the Insect ms Is alSn true ot aiHlnoHli ana
similar vplnt" chemical agents. When the
bees com" IN contact with dI-H.r"cah.r OdOrS
th"v Wi drop All other business. no matter
bow pressing, and set to work to N"ntlute
themselves. rho poison OF their sl'ng has a
positive OuUr. and when they get whIlt oil II
they arr instantly excited to anger and hos
lily Bcrs recognize the lrr-"nr" 81 a stran-
ger in their hives 10y her particular smell:
AMI when the nliarlah seeks - Ion two
stock, into one without taking certain prccau-
tons battle royal ~ sure To cnsur: 10
prevent Il lsastruus hight between the !nyo.-
unfairly united stock me be. farmers OF CAL
fornia scent both families with tobacco smoke
or Other IU"L smelling agent, This artificial
oior ON"rWh"ImS IN" bees natural scent, pre-
won't" them from recognizing their own family
from the litruu"rs. ana lnSurcS l"acc When
an alien queen Is introduced into II stand OF
bees which she is designed to rule, she is