. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. Dec. 22, 1898.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 503 out of place in your Christmas issue. To account, then, for my asking our Editor to in- sert the accompanying photo in current issue, I might have said anything is fair " game'' at Christmas time, but under no conditions can I advert to my subject as "game," but I was so amused the other nightâas well as being in- tensely interestedâin securing what I modestly call a couple of good micro-photos of that bee- man's horror, the Braula caeca (or blind louse), that I resolved to send a
. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. Dec. 22, 1898.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 503 out of place in your Christmas issue. To account, then, for my asking our Editor to in- sert the accompanying photo in current issue, I might have said anything is fair " game'' at Christmas time, but under no conditions can I advert to my subject as "game," but I was so amused the other nightâas well as being in- tensely interestedâin securing what I modestly call a couple of good micro-photos of that bee- man's horror, the Braula caeca (or blind louse), that I resolved to send a print of the negative for insertion in our Bee Journal if you thought well of it. My amusement, I may say, arose from comparing the much-worn- through-hard-service wood-cut of our friend the Braula with a photo from life ; and my -> l ' - jf r â i Fig. 1.âBraula. interest was aroused in noting the wonderful structure of the tiny creature with the some- what indelicate sub-title. In fact, the bee parasite has hitherto been presented to your readers in mufti, and it is now my proud privilege to present, I believe for the first time in bee-history, the female Braula cceca in all her native beauty. Nor do I think it unsafe to say that the photo shows the most perfect specimen of the insect that has ever appeared in print. It was, perhaps, only chance that prevented " Mr.'' Braula from appearing, but be that as it may, the lady got the preference as presenting more points of interest. I may also say the females of this insect far outnumber the males. It will be seen that what looks like the head is in reality the mouth organs ; consisting of mandibles, tongue, palpi, and labrum. The real head is the wide part seen just above the first pair of legs. On examining the insect under the microscope it is even more apparent that there are compound eyes, one on each side of the head. That they are eyes I am almost certain, but I hope ere long to prove my contention, and, should
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Keywords: ., bookcentury, bookdecade1870, bookpublisherlondon, booksubjectbees
