Abstract
A RECENT paper by Frisch1 records some interesting observations on the manner in which bees notify to members of the same hive the existence of a rich source of honey. By the use of a glass-fronted observation hive and by marking the bees with various combinations of coloured spots, Frisch states that he found that a bee which had just returned from an exceptional source of supply, performed a rapid dance lasting from thirty to sixty seconds. This might be repeated in one or more places in the hive, during which the performing bee necessarily came in contact with the surrounding insects, and it was observed that these latter stroked the abdomen of the dancing bee with their antennae. Afterwards these same bees emerge from the hive and search in ever-widening circles, up to a kilometre away from the hive, for the source of honey the existence of which has been communicated to them in the manner described.
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References
K. v. Frisch, "Sinnesphysiologie und Sprache der Bienen". (Berlin: Julius Springer, 1924.) 1.20 gold marks.
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S., E. The “Honey-Sense” of Bees. Nature 115, 692 (1925). https://doi.org/10.1038/115692a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/115692a0