If the beekeeper, at the time of the spring colony check, cannot diagnose the cause of any abnormal brood in his hives, he should get in touch with his county apiary inspector or send a description of the symptoms to Professor J. E. Eckert, Division of Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of California, Davis, California. If dead brood is present, a smear of a dead larvae placed on a piece of para-fined paper, folded to protect the smear, should be included in the letter for microscopic examination. Do not include any bees or whole larvae.