In a message dated 09/09/03 05:04:07 GMT Daylight Time, Jim Fischer writes:

<<
 a) AHB DO dance.
 b) AHB DO recruit foragers.
 c) They simply do so less often than other types of Apis.
 d) I agree that it is unlikely that a dance would
    not recruit "dance-attendants".  (Some less vigorous
    dances don't recruit any bees, but this is a well
    understood part of the process.)

To repeat what I said when this subject was discussed at length on the Irish
List some months ago, I spent some hours at a show in charge of an observation
hive from which bees were foraging.  I was able to observe how the angle of
the waggle dance moved anti-clockwise over time. As I carry neither a
protractor nor a wristwatch I was not able to carry out accurate observations but it
seemed to me that the anti-clockwise motion was about half the rate at which the
hour hand of a hypothetical conventionally regulated clock would have moved
in the opposite direction.

I noticed that most of the dancing (for want of a less loaded word) bees
attracted attention from other bees.  However a smaller (but significant)
proportion of the dancing bees were apparently ignored by their sisters. It did not
appear to me at the time that these dances were any less vigorous.

After I reported my observations one or two other beekeepers (including
Norman Carreck, a genuine scientist) took the trouble to look at their observation
hives for the same behavior (ignored dancers) and found it. However, nobody
said it was a well understood part of the process. Perhaps, Jim, you could
elucidate to help our better understanding and enlightenment.

 "Exactly how and when were you, or anyone else "denied access to print"?
 Specifically which journal or journals were involved?
 If I could get papers published, anyone can.  Yes, peer review
 can be harsh.  Yes, it sometimes takes multiple passes. "

By coincidence I was talking earlier this evening to my daughter who assists
with editing a peer reviewed scientific magazine and we discussed the peer
reviewing process. In a small world where most of the participants know each
other one way or another all the corrupt influences you would expect, from mutual
back scratching downwards, are common. It is only the commercial influence of
advertising that keeps the corruption in check as if the magazine loses its
reputation it loses its advertising revenue.

So taking a very cynical view it could be assumed that the Dance Language
opponents have few friends or that their views are so extreme that they would
scare off the advertisers. On the other hand, they might be totally uncorrupt
(but not necessarily right).

Chris
(From a sedentary position on the fence)

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