72 UTILIZATION OF MINUTE LIFE. 



convoy of 4000 hives, which were being transported 

 from a region where the season for flowers had 

 passed, to one where the summer was later. 



Our domestic hive-bee (Apis mellifica, Fig. 

 6) appears to be a native of Greece ;* from whence 

 it was subsequently introduced 

 into the different countries of 

 Europe. It is a well-known 

 fact that the education or rear- 

 ing of bees attained to great 

 FIG. e. Apis meiiifica perfection among the ancient 



(Hive-bee). 



Greeks, more especially among 



the inhabitants of Attica ; the honey of the latter 

 country was always considered extremely fine. An- 

 cient philosophers looked upon bees as forming part 

 of the universal soul of the world, and believed that 

 the sweets upon which they lived made them parti- 

 cipate in divine nature ; thus, we see the ancient 

 poets celebrating the works of the bee, making 

 known their habits and writing their history. It 

 was from these sources that Virgil collected ideas, 

 added to them the results of his own observa- 

 tions, and produced the charming verses of his 

 " Georgica." 



Among the moderns the following are the names 

 of distinguished entomologists who have written 

 considerably on bees : H. Huber, P. Huber, 

 * Most authors agree upon this point. 



