BEES. 



56 



side 100 worker-cells to the square inch of surface 

 (Figs. 2 and 3). The workei'^ more slender than 

 house-fiies, though longer-bodied, are blue-black in 

 color, with the anterior third of the abdomen brip;hi 



♦ J"— -^ 



KIG. 2.— WORKER-CICLLS OF TINY 1-^^ ! ' 1 \N HONEY- 



BEE (apis florea); natural size. 



orange. Colonies of these bees accumulate so little 

 surplus honey as to give no hope that their cultivation 

 would be profitable. 



GIANT BEES OF INDIA. 

 {Apis dorsata, Fab.) 



A few years ago a great deal used to be 

 said regarding the East Indian "giant" 

 honej'-bees, Ains dorsata, and the possi- 

 bilities of liaving them imported and domes- 

 ticated in this country. Much truth and 

 nonsense have evidently been circulated in 

 regard to them. Mr. Benton, having been 

 in their native land, gives us something 

 here that can be relied on. 



« This large bee, which might not inappropriately be 

 styled the Giant East-Indian bee, has its home in the 

 far East— both on the continent of Asia and the adja- 

 cent islands. There are probably several varieties 

 of this species, more or less marked, and very likely 

 Apis zona/a, Guer., of the Philippine Islands, reported 

 to be even larger than Apis dorsata, will prove on fur- 

 ther investigation to be only a variety of the latter. All 

 the varieties of these bees build huge combs of very 

 pure wax— often 5 to 6 feet in length and 3 to 4 feet in 

 width, which they attach to overhanging ledges of 

 rocks or to large limbs of lofty trees in the primitive 

 forest jungles. When attached to the limbs of trees 

 they are built singly, and present much the same 

 appearance as those of the tiny East - Indian bee, 

 shown in the accompanying figure (Fig. 3). The 

 Giant bee, however, quite in contradistinction to the 

 other species of apis mentioned here, does not con- 

 struct larger cells in which to rear drones, these and 

 the workers being produced in cells of the same size. 

 Of these bees— long regarded as a myth by bee-keepers 

 of America and Europe — strange stories have been 

 told. It has been .stated that they build their combs 

 horizontally, after the manner of paper-making wasps; 

 that they are so given to wandering as to make it im- 

 possible to keep them in hives, and that their ferocity 

 renders them objects greatlj' to be dreaded. The first 

 real information regarding these points was given by 

 the author. He visited India in 1880-81 for the purpose 

 of obtaining colonies of Apis dorsata. These were 

 procured in the jungles by cuttingthe combs from their 

 original attachments, and it was thus ascertained (as 

 might have been expected in the case of any species 

 of apis), that their combs are always built perpendicu- 

 larly ; ahso that colonies placed in frame hives and 

 permitted to fly freely did not desert these habita- 

 tions, and that, far from being ferocious, these colo- 

 nies were easily handled by proper precautions, with- 

 out even the use of smoke. It was also proved by the 



BEES. 



quat:tily of honey and wax present that they are good 

 gatherers. The execution at that time of the plan to 

 t'.ing these bees to the United States was prevent- 

 ed only by severe illness contracted in India. 



These large bees would doubtless be able to get 

 honey from flowers whose nectaries are located out of 

 reach of ordinary bees, notably those of the red clo- 

 ver, now visited chiefly by bumble-bees, and which it 

 is thought the East-Indian bees might pollinate and 

 cause to produce seed more abundantly. Even if not 

 further utilizable, they might prove an important fac- 

 tor in the production, throughout the Southern States, 

 of large quantities of excellent beeswax, now such an 

 expensive article. 



There are a few in this country who be- 

 lieve the introduction of the giant bees here 

 would result disastrously to the business; 

 that, as the English sparrow has driven out 

 some of our American song birds, so Apis 

 dorsata might drive out the Italians and 

 black bees by taking the nectar that would 

 otherwise go to Apis mellifica, and thus in- 

 directly rob the bee-keeper. It is also 

 stated that Apis dorsata could not be domes- 

 ticated, but would run wild allover the coun- 

 try; but from all the information we can 

 gather we have no fear of any of these 

 things. The facts prove that they have 

 not run out Apis Indica, Apis florea, and 

 other Eastern bees in their own habitats; 

 furthermore, it is doubtful whether they 

 would be able to stand our changing 

 climate, even in the South; for it must be 

 understood that India and the Philippines 

 have a much warmer climate than our South- 

 ern States. 



HOW BEES GROW. 



Having devoted so much space to the 

 different races of bees, it is now in order to 

 discuss how they grow. 



During warm weather, while bees are 

 gathering honey, open your hive about noon, 

 and put in the center a frame containing a 

 sheet of foundation ; examine it every 

 morning, noon, and evening, until you can 

 see eggs in the cells. By inserting it 

 between two combs already containing 

 brood you will very likely find eggs in the 

 cells the next day. 



If you have never seen an egg that is to 

 produce a bee, you may have to look very 

 sharp the first time, for they are white like 

 polished ivory, and scarcely larger than one 

 of the periods in this print. They will be 

 seen in the center of the cells attached to 

 the comb by one end. The egg under the 

 microscope mucli resembles the cut. It is 

 covered, as you notice, with a sort of lace- 

 like penciling, or net- work it might proper- 

 ly be called. Immediately on discovering 

 eggs, mark down the date. If the weather 



