Milford chronicle., 1911-07-21
LANGUAGE OF
THE HONEY BEE
BY DIR. JOEL S. GILFILLAN.

4 BY DR.. JOEL S. GILFILLAN.
d 1t will be an interesting diversion
a for visitors to the Agricultural Fail
!, in Horse Show Park this fall to visit
the Bee Department and listen to
< the bees talking. Can they talk
4 Well j should say they can. Some
T. might argue that the bees tongue
5 does not swing right for speech or
= the lips are not flexible enough or
= some other lack Of conformity to
the requirements Of speech. But
5 all the same the bee can and does
= communicate with other bees and
with the bee keeper. The bee
keeper will soon learn some of the
expressions if he will keep his ears
open, and it will be we'll for him to
make it point to become acquaint.
ed with the language of the bee in
the very early stages of his bee
keeping experience or he may suf-
fer on account of his ignorance.
What language does the bee
speak?
Why, of course, the unusual lam
guage.
No Not volapiite, nor esperanto:
a better universal language than
either of these and one that is more
easily learned. do not think any
body has yet analyzed the language
or made any attempt to record its
limitations or its extent. The
knowledge Of the language has no T
commercial value, but is studied
more for comfort than any none
tary value that may attach to it. .
Language is only a series OF siens i
signs have a certain signif- q
canoe to certain number of people a
who agree upon these signs and s.
who use them often enough to keep e.
hem in memory, but they are
nothing to other people outside of 5.
hat circle. The different people l
lave different sets of signs. And l
ven the language of a people nj
hanges until the people of later 6
can scarcely understand
he signs Of their forefathers. tu
The language of the bee has a
ever changed, but has come down an
trough the ages in perfect purity. tai
IS the same in America as in De
ally or Egypt. And is the same mi
nong all tribes of bees-Italian. IN
e Caucasian, the German-all oe'
eak the same language with the 10
me accent and the same tone. OF
A colony of bees presents the Is
ost beautiful and I9erfect picture as
a prosperous kingdom A king Dee
m where all take an active part rae
the administrations of the affairs VII
the kingdom and where all agree Wn'
on an equable division of labor, driN iN
4 all partake Of the general pros l
-ity. Such a condition could not mer
st in the colony if the bees did thei
have some way to communicate som
h each other. ever
ZEE KEEPER KNOWS PHRASES. ~ ~
| bee keeper soons becomes ac- abo,
inted with few Of the phrases with
~ as VI most frequent use max
'ng the bees. The first expires tbe
that it is wise for one to know
understand is that of anger.
angry bee, like an angry man PT
woman sbould he lee olona all Il
ether the bee uses anv cuss lngs
Is IS not to be determined. but TIME
sound is just as different as a OF tn
5 swearing is from his words Is Io
tones OF love making. And 'he D
d the bees are talking together ana
e words and tones of anger. il can 5
st to get away and let them ehoul
2. Sometimes two colonies will col
ITO quarrel among themselves nlgnt
IRE having their own troubles lneh'
as human beings sometimes ing q
lto trouble with one another a see
ne innocent bee keeper comes PIoce,
It that time, now, if he under on q
S the language of the bees he celIs
ioI larry iOng' out II he should
.norant of the language he 10 De :
possibly get tangled ND in accura
little quarrel before he knows upon
other sound expressing a narVes
ng OF impending calamity is Tiousl
ct and easily recognized. 10 sto
yill begiven when arnroo,i,;.,. - hum,
+, we drive a clond Of 1919 sn,oi,ss throug
the entrance. The beas ,,,,sos o., height
at the entrance turn into the most P
With a peculiar sound we'll ines
to every bee keeper and the slons tC
colony is thrown into COM ance tn
lamity overtakes them, their
ope rests in being able to re-
Sd Themselves q fta, Al -