36 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



from Japan and noticed the special stiffening of this part by a 

 stout curved vein, similar to that in the genus Cicadetta of Eu 

 rope. Nothing like this has been recorded of the American 

 species, many of which are equally narrow bodied and have 

 short wings. 



Mr. Benton presented a communication upon the proposed 

 introduction of Apis dorsata into the United States, giving an 

 account of previous attempts and particularly of his own journey 

 to Ceylon, in which he described his efforts to secure the bee, 

 and, at some length, the habits of the bee itself and the character 

 of its nests. He desired the opinion of the Society as to the 

 possibility of the successful introduction of this bee into the 

 United States, and on the desirability of such an introduction. 

 In answer to a question by Mr. Mann, Mr. Benton said that 

 the species could not be brought over by the usual method of 

 bringing a queen in a queen cage. Here the only chance is to 

 bring over full colonies. Mr. Ashmead suggested that the intro 

 duction of this large strong bee might have a disastrous effect upon 

 Apis mellijica. Mr. Benton, however, said that he had intro 

 duced hives of mellifica into Ceylon, and that during his stay 

 on the island these colonies did not appear to suffer from associa 

 tion with Apis dorsata. Dr. Skinner thought that it possibly 

 might be a good exchange even if mellijica should suffer, pro 

 viding we can domesticate dorsata. Mr. Schwarz was of the 

 opinion that Apis dorsata would not drive out A. mellijica, 

 since the latter is become so strong and so perfectly adapted to 

 domestication. The climate, he thought, would be the most 

 serious difficulty, and he doubted whether there are any portions 

 of the United States where A. dorsata would thrive. Frosts, he 

 thought, would be fatal to it, since it has in Ceylon no hibernat 

 ing period. Mr. Benton, however, said that Apis dorsata is 

 reported to occur far north in Hindustan and that A. mellijica 

 itself originally came from Palestine and has accommodated itself 

 to the climate of regions far to the north. Dr. Stiles said that, 

 as a general rule, smaller species are more persistent, and doubted 

 whether dorsata would successfully compete with mellijica for 

 that reason. 



