348 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



banded Italians. They have been obtained by continued selection, 

 so that instead of the three yellow bands there are four and tive. 

 Thev are very beautiful bees, but no better workers because of their 

 beauty. 



The imjjortant dilVerence between Italians and black bees is in 

 their deiiortnient. It has become well settled that Italians are more 

 industrious, even a isniall mixture of Italian blood helping to make 

 a dilference in the amount of surplus stored. They are more gentle, 

 and with proper handling much less inclined to sting than the 

 1) lacks. \A'lien a comb covered with bees is lifted out of a hive of 

 blacks, the bees run in confused excitement, forming into a sort of 

 r()]i(' and tinally falling otX at the lower corner of the frame, while 

 Italians under the same circumstances remain quietly on the comb, 

 and frequently the queen may be seen to lay while the comb is held 

 in the hand. Italians are greatly superior in defending themselves 

 against the incursions of the bee-moth. Indeed, the owner of Italian 

 bees has no need to i)ay any attention to bee-moths. 



The cross between Italian and black bees, called hybrids, will 

 be found in many cases as good honey-gatherers as the pure Italians; 

 sometimes better. T^nfortunately, some of them will be found more 

 vicious stinger« than pure blacks. The workers of a first cross 

 will be found to be partly' black and partly with three yellow bands, 

 or the bees may have one or two yellow bands. Although hybrids 

 may be as good workers as pure stock, especially the first cross, 

 there is a tendency to deteriorate, and it is well to have a pure queen 

 1() breed from. 



OTHER VARIETIES OF BEES. 



Carniolan bees have been bred to some extent. They are much 

 like blacks in appearance, but the bands of light-colored down are 

 brighter in the Carniolans. Some esteem them and their crosses 

 as industrious workers, but their propensity to excessive swarming 

 is urged against them. 



Cyprian bees resemble Italians in appearance, and are good work- 

 ers but inclined to be extremely vicious. Holy-Land and the Egyptian 

 bees have been tried, but have not been approved. The general ver- 

 dict is (hat for greatest pcofit in bee-keeping it is wise to have as 

 nearly as possible i)ure Italians. 



MAKING A START IN BEE-KEEPING. 



If yon have no bees, and desire to begin bee-keeping, you will do 

 well to buy a full colony of Italian bees in a movable-comb hive, if 

 you can conveniently do so. If none are to be had in easy distance, 



