Show l Jf f J I Bees as Messengers I T I In France the suggestion has been made that bees might be used as messengers L mes-sengers in war not as substitutes for the carrier pigeon but only when pigeons I arc not to be had or cannot be used The diminutive size of the bee Is its chief f recommendation At first sight the project seems unrealizable because the r bees cannot be handled as readily as pigeons and because they are so affected I by the velocity of the wind and other disturbing Influences 7r Tagnac a wellknown apicullurlsl has conducted experiments on this line with such results that the subject to say the least Is worth considering It was shown that bees find their way back to their hives from distances oC 1 iboUl four mlley and that they fly with a velocity of about thirteen miles ant an-t hour On the strength of these facts M Tagnae began his experiments He constructed a portable beehive and took It to a friend about four miles distant After a few days when the bees had become familiar with their new surroundIng j surround-Ing some of them were removed to a peculiarly constructed receiver I1 I From this receiver M Tagnac let t a few fly out Into a room and soon the 4 ccs settled on a plate of honey While the bees were eating it he fastened his dispatches on them As was shown to the writer the dispatch Is magnified six t timEs Thoy were fastened with fine lines and great care was taken not to put nny line ei the bees head or wings When liberated In the open air the bees immediately Hew home Arriving at the home hive they found they could not I iJ enter it because the en Iran c had been made so small that the paper on their backs prevented them M Tagnac has also made experiments with the Bombus j Hortorum and Is well pleased with the results |