8o6 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTELY. 



Syrian queens (Palestine strain), crossed with the Italian drones, will 

 presently prove to be our very best bees — combining more good points 

 than any other existing variety. Doubtless, however, the bee of the 

 future will be greatly superior to anything we have at present. For 

 purposes of experimentation in developing such, we have now in 

 America several of the best varieties in existence under domestication. 

 By judicious crossing, in accordance with the well-known laws of vari- 

 ation and heredity, such a result is quite certain. The vast improve- 

 ment made in this way among our domestic animals, within less than 

 half a century, fully warrants the conclusion that, in the evolution of 

 things so palpable everywhere, we may in the case of our bees subsi- 

 dize and utilize the same ever-acting law of progress. 



Following the Syrians, and genealogically closely allied to them, 

 we have the Cyprians, though not yet widely diffused. They resem^ 

 ble the Italians, of which they are supposed to be the progenitors. 

 The Cyprian bees have some good points, and one very bad point. 

 They are famous for their fecundity, but equally enfamous for their 

 ferocity, being maliciously expert in using very pointed stings. This 

 variety (unless in this inspiriting western atmosphere it acquires more 

 amiability) is not likely to become popular, notwithstanding the mar- 

 velous fecundity of the queens. It may be possible, by crossing with 

 some bee of good disposition, to mollify their bad tempers and retain 

 their good qualities. 



Of the remaining varieties of the honey-bee, and sub-varieties, in- 

 cluding hybrids, little is practically known in this country, with 

 the exception of one or two strains of the latter. The "hybrids," 

 resulting from a cross between the Italian queen and the German 

 di'one, are well known in Canada and the United States, and, next to 

 the pure Gennans and Italians, are perhaps most numerous. These 

 hybrids have excellent qualities : they make superb comb ; are active 

 and energetic ; and I have observed stand the rigor of our Canadian 

 winters much better than the pure Italians ; but they are much less 

 amiable. 



A properly constituted colony of bees consists of three different 

 kinds, viz. : an impregnated queen (the fully developed female) ; drones 

 (the males) ; and workers (undeveloped females). The queen (ab- 

 surdly called the " king-bee " from the time of Aristotle and even 

 Virgil down to Huber) is the mother of the whole colony, and is 

 capable of laying over three thousand eggs per day ! During the 

 height of the breeding-season in the honey-flow, she frequently 

 lays from two to three thousand eggs per day for many consecutive 

 days together. She remains prolific for from two to four years, and 

 in some instances queens have been known to remain prolific upward 

 of five years. Before the queen-bee of a colony becomes quite bar- 

 ren, and while she is still laying, if not removed by the apiarist, the 

 workers themselves supersede her, by killing her and rearing a young 



