APIS DORSATA, FABR., CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF DOMESTICATION. 13 



valuable addition to our fauna would be obtained, yielding a larger 

 quantity of honey and wax, and generally more profitable than our 

 honey-bee, Apis mellifica and its difi'erent varieties — var. li[/ustica, 

 var. carniolia, etc. According to Dalla Torre : — 



Apis dorsata, Fabr., occurs in Assam, IndiTl and Java ( ¥ cT 5 )• Var. hicolor, 

 Klug, occurs in Assam, India, Ceylon and Java. Var. testacea, Smith, occurs in 

 Assam and Borneo ( ? 5 )• Var. zonata, occurs in Assam, Celebes ( ? ) and the 

 Philippines. [The var. zonata also occurs in India, which is not mentioned by Dalla 

 Torre.] 



About three years ago a special enquiry was set on foot to ascertain 

 whether or not the Giant Bee of India was really a suitable subject for 

 domestication. At that time I was permitted to look over various 

 reports at the India Office, and all these agreed that Apis dorsata, 

 mentioned generally under native names, could not be domesticated 

 on account of its intractable character. The chief points noted are :^ 



1. It is said to be exceedingly vicious, often attacking man or beast on the 

 smallest provocation. 2. It preserves the same habits and ajjpearance wherever 

 its habitat. 3. It has never been known to build its nest under shelter, but 

 mostly on isolated lofty trees or overhanging rocks. 4. After the honey season 

 the bees will desert their nests, and often travel for long periods and great distances, 

 even crossing such mountain chains as the Nilgherris in their course. 5. They 

 build single combs. C. And are used to approach from north, south, east, or west. 

 7. They rarely remain in one locality for more than three weeks, emigrating 

 as flowers become scarcer. 



We will consider these points more in detail, to make the subject 

 better understood. Among the hill-men, near Darjeeling (Eastern 

 Himalayas), this bee is known by the name Cargoo, and is generally 

 an object of fear and dislike — according to Sladen. It will be readily 

 seen that the risk of introducing such a bee, even were it possible, into 

 a thickly populated country would be too great. Not only the hill- 

 men of Darjeeling find Apis dursata an undesirable neighbour, but all 

 are agreed on the subject who have had any experience in the matter. 

 Interesting, however, is the way in which the natives of the Malay 

 Archipelago, for instance, take the comb and honey, showing much 

 courage on their part. Perhaps, also, the Apis dorsata may be some- 

 what less dreaded in the islands than on the mainland of India. The 

 native, having located the nest (built some 70 to 80 feet from the 

 ground, sometimes even more"), repairs by night to the spot, and after 

 a wearisome climb, sometimes lasting an hour, with only the smoke 

 fumes of a torch, drives the bees away from the combs, which are 

 then severed from the boughs and let down by cords to his helpers 

 below. Such a rough and ready style of proceeding must necessarily 

 aggravate the bees, and stings, as one may suppose, are plentiful ; still 

 the tribesmen do not seem much concerned. It is well known that 

 one of the greatest obstacles to the domestication of this bee is its 

 natural wildness and its inability to settle permanently in one spot. 

 When we consider that Apis dorsata usually makes its nest in wild 

 and rocky country, only remaining in one locality so long as flowers 

 abound, we shall better realise why it moves from place to place, and 

 the impoi-tance of so doing to its general welfare. Therefore we see 

 that only by completely altering its natural habits could we hope to 

 domesticate this bee, or bring it into use under diflering circumstances 



* This is for protection against the bears, which are (as is known) fond of 

 honey, and would climb the trees in search of it. 



