1883.] BEE-KEEPING. 165 



how to express it), that they differ from the animal. An 

 animal secretes fat without any effort on its part. The bees, 

 in all their operations, can perform those operations at will, 

 in the secretion of wax or the manufacture of comb. A cer- 

 tain class of the swarm only are wax producers ; they cluster 

 in the hive and are fed with honey in abundance, and that 

 honey goes to fat, or what would be fat in the animal ; but 

 in bees, it is a little scale right on the under side of the abdo- 

 men — about four little scales on each bee, the size of a small 

 fish scale. That the workers take off and work it over, and 

 in working it over it produces genuine wax. Now, that wax 

 they work into comb. 



Mr. Augur. May I ask Mr. Bradley how he regards the 

 Italian bees ? 



Mr. Bradley. I have tested the Italian bees in a great 

 many ways, and like them very much. One reason is, they 

 have a greater capacity for endurance than the common bees. 

 They are stronger, and they seem to be more vigorous in their 

 labors, working when the common bee does not. As an in- 

 stance of their strength and powers of endurance, as com- 

 pared with the common bee, I will mention that I was strain- 

 ing out honey one day, and had a large cloth strainer. When 

 I was through, of course that cloth was saturated with honey. 

 I had two stocks of bees, one Italian, and one common bees, 

 sitting on the same platform, only a short distance apart, and 

 I took this cloth and spread it between those two stocks. 

 The bees at once scented this honey, and they came out from 

 each stock and went on this cloth in about equal numbers. 

 The Italians are very peculiar about one thing — they will not 

 eat with their black brethren ; they will drive them away. 

 Well, as they struck this cloth, the Italians coming on one 

 side and the black bees on the other, the black bees at once 

 commenced sucking up this honey. The Italians marched 

 right across the cloth until they met the black bees, and they 

 advanced upon them with confidence ; and persons who have 

 seen bees fight can imagine just how the battle was waged. 

 They clinched and wrestled ; it was a struggle for life, and 



