VIII.—­Finally, seeing the slight distances at which these stars pass the sun, the attraction upon the comet and its satellites may be very different, and the velocity of rotation of the latter, being added to or deducted from that of the forward motion, there may occur (as in the case shown in Fig. 6) a separation of a satellite from the principal star.  The comet then appears to separate into two, and each part follows different routes in space; or, as in Fig. 7, one of the satellites may either fall into the sun or pursue an elliptical orbit and become periodical, while the principal star may preserve a parabolic orbit, and make but one appearance.—­A.  Goupil.

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THE DOUBLE ROLE OF THE STING OF THE HONEY BEE.

[Footnote:  Translated from an article entitled “Ueber eine doppelrolle des stachels der honigbienen” in Deutschamerikanische Apotheker Zeitung, 15 Jan., 1885, Jahrg. 5, p. 664; there reprinted from Ind.  Blatter.]

Very important and highly interesting discoveries have recently been made in regard to a double role played by the sting of the honey bee.  These discoveries explain some hitherto inexplicable phenomena in the domestic economy of the ants.  It is already known that the honey of our honey bees, when mixed with a tincture of litmus, shows a distinct red color, or, in other words, has an acid reaction.  It manifests this peculiarity because of the volatile formic acid which it contains.  This admixed acid confers upon crude honey its preservative power.  Honey which is purified by treatment with water under heat, or the so-called honey-sirup, spoils sooner, because the formic acid is volatilized.  The honey of vicious swarms of bees is characterized by a tart taste and a pungent odor.  This effect is produced by the formic acid, which is present in excess in the honey.  Hitherto it has been entirely unknown in what way the substratum of this peculiarity of honey, the formic acid in the honey, could enter into this vomit from the honey stomach of the workers.  Only the most recent investigations have furnished us an explanation of this process.  The sting of the bees is used not only for defense, but quite principally serves the important purpose of contributing to the stored honey an antizymotic and antiseptic substance.

The observation has recently been made that the bees in the hive, even when they are undisturbed, wipe off on the combs the minute drops of bee poison (formic acid) which from time to time exude from the tip of their sting.  And this excellent preservative medium is thus sooner or later contributed to the stored honey.  The more excitable and the more ready to sting the bees are, the greater will be the quantity of formic acid which is added to the honey, and the admixture of which good honey needs.  The praise which is so commonly lavished upon the Ligurian