306 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 16, 1866. 



great interest, and found me in the possession of eight fine 

 Egyptian colonies, which had passed the ordeal of an English 

 ■winter perfectly unscathed. In point of fact the original 

 Egyptian queen (owing, doubtless, to the extra care and pains 

 bestowed upon her) was at the head of by far the strongest 

 colony in my apiary, whilst the seven others would compare 

 advantageously with any seven of my Italian stocks that could 

 be selected, and I looked forward with much delight to the ac- 

 complishment of the pleasing task of propagating what I at 

 that time believed would turn out to be a race of bees superior 

 even to the Italians in docility and beauty. But here occurred 

 a mischance which in its results gave me the first hint as to 

 the true character and disposition of my African protegees. 



Whilst examining one of the young colonies on the 20th of 

 April, I noticed what appeared something like a small regicidal 

 cluster at the hpttom of one of the combs. Seeing the queen, 

 however, almost the next instant run across the same comb at 

 perfect liberty, I deemed myself mistaken, closed the hive in 

 all haste, and thought no more of the matter. The result 

 proved that I had treated this occurrence too lightly, for next 

 morning the poor deposed sovereign lay dead in front of the 

 hive. As, however, she happened to be very fresh and retained 

 her beauty in a remarkable degree, a clever entomological 

 friend succeeded in stuffing and setting her up most admirably, 

 and she now figures in the British Museum as the only speci- 

 men in that vast collection of a queen bee of Apis fasciata. 

 But this by the way. 



Egyptian drones having by this time made their appearance, 

 I did not attach much importance to the loss of what was at 

 best but a hybridised queen, and accordingly set to work to 

 exchange brood-combs with the original stock, so that the 

 whilom regicides might be compelled to raise a pure queen. 

 But this was no easy task ; the little rascals showed fight with 

 all the fiery impetuosity of a body of Prince Rupert's cavaliers, 

 combined with a stern determination and indomitable reso- 

 lution which would have done credit to a corps of Cromwell's 

 redoubted Ironsides. Quickly was I compelled to put on 

 indian-rubber bee-gloves (a piece of armour which I had long 

 disused), and soon afterwards discovered, that whilst wearing 

 slippers I laboured under the same disadvantage as Achilles, in 

 being vulnerable at the heel. Nor was this all. When the ex- 

 change had been effected, the hive restored to its normal state, 

 and, as I thought, a truce proclaimed, these indomitable little 

 Amazons would have none of it, but attacked and stung all 

 and sundry that ventured into the garden, uDtil I became 

 convinced that it was in vain to indulge further a hope for 

 peace, and was ultimately compelled to banish them to 

 a secluded position a mile and a half distant, where they 

 remained until the evening of the 7th of May. On examining 

 them the next morning I found that two royal cells had arrived 

 at perfection, whilst all the rest were destroyed ; and a stricter 

 scrutiny revealing the fact that the two recent denizens of the 

 naturally-opened queen cells had not yet met in mortal combat, 

 but were still surviving within the hive, its inhabitants were 

 forthwith divided into two colonies, with a young queen at the 

 head of each. The remarkable display of spirit on the part of my 

 recent acquisition caused me to pause in the attempt to propa- 

 gate Apis fasciata, but it required much more than this to force 

 me to the course which I was afterwards compelled to adopt. 



Any one who turns back to No. 241 of " our Journal," to 

 which I have before referred, will see that the fifth Egyptian 

 queen developed some extraordinary phenomena, which I 

 there described as follows: — "When she was about ten da3 - s 

 old I noticed a single egg in a worker cell, which appeared to 

 be the signal for the destruction of a few full-sized drones 

 which existed in the hive at the time. More eggs were gra- 

 dually deposited in the adjoining cells, and all receiving the 

 raised convex coverings appropriate to drones, whilst the ab- 

 domen of the queen (a very small one) remained undistended, 

 I doubted not that she would turn out a confirmed drone- 

 breeder. When rather over twenty days old, I noticed, much 

 to my astonishment, a remarkable change in her appearance, 

 which suddenly assumed the graceful degree of embonpoint 

 proper to an impregnated queen. This was accompanied by 

 an equally notable chnnge in the manner of ber oviposition, 

 which from being sparse and unequal became copious and 

 regular. Soon afterwards it also became evident that her 

 progeny would not be entirely of the male sex, a few cells of 

 worker brood appearing here and there amidst the protruding 

 cradles of the drones ; and this proportion has gradually and 

 steadily increased until I have every reason to believe she has 

 assumed the status of a fully-developed queen, breeding workers 



only as is proper at this season." It is not a little singular 

 that after breeding workers only, as is usual during the early 

 spring, she as summer approached reverted to the condition of 

 a drone-breeder, depositing male eggs only in the worker cells, 

 until I ultimately decided on removing her, and sent her to my 

 friend, Mr. F. Smith, of the British Museum, to be by him 

 killed and set up as an entomological specimen. 



In the mean time, as I had ceased the propagation of the 

 Egyptian variety, that element in my apiary became somewhat 

 diminished. One stock, transferred to the Acclimatisation So- 

 ciety, took its departure for the gardens of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society at South Kensington, where it has done well, and 

 has partially filled a super with the first honey taken in Eng- 

 land from Egyptian bees. The queen and bees of another stock 

 went to Leeds, there, I hope, in some measure, to compensate 

 Mr. F. H. West for a stock of Italians, which became very 

 much weakened during its transit from my apiary to the north. 

 What it has done, and how it has succeeded, we may probably 

 learn from him in due course. The original stock was sent to Mr. 

 Lowe, of Edinburgh, who will, I hope, relate tb* result himself. 



Having, therefore, materially reduced my stock, the unwel- 

 come conviction slowly but surely forced itself upon me, that 

 Egyptian bees were wholly unsuited for experimental purposes 

 when kept in a garden adjoining a public and well-frequented 

 thoroughfare. So long as they were not meddled with they 

 were peaceable enough, but let but a crown-board be removed, 

 and every bee that could fly was instantly on the wing to resent 

 the invasion, leaving the hive and combs in the occupation 

 only of the queen and such juveniles as had never taken wing. 

 How they searched out and penetrated every weak point in the 

 bee armour — how they crept up under the sleeves and crawled 

 up the trowsers it boots not here to relate : suffice it to say that 

 if they had confined their attentions to the actual aggressor all 

 might have been forgiven, but such unfortunately was not the 

 case. The slightest operation upon an Egyptian stock became 

 the signal for a most appalling outcry out of doors. Helpless 

 infants in perambulators were stung nearly into fits ; lagging 

 errand boys were startled from their usual loitering gait, and 

 sent blubbering to their destination at a pace which must 

 have highly gratified their employers ; wretched little lap-dogs 

 with whizzing yellowish-white pellets viciously embedded in 

 their well-washed coats ran yelping piteously for protection 

 Underneath the petticoats of their horrified and distracted mis- 

 tresses ; most potent, grave, and reverend seignors sprang head- 

 long into the arms of affrighted serving-maidens, each rushing 

 in opposite directions to escape the unforeseen attack ; whilst 

 to crown the whole a large school of young ladies was not only 

 frightened from its propriety, but put to the most utter and 

 ignominious rout. It says much for the forbearance of the 

 Exonians that no formal complaint was made either to or of 

 me ; but I could not but be aware of what was going on, and 

 came to the conclusion that the remaining Egyptians must be 

 got rid of. After transforming some by an exchange of queens. 

 I had yet five remaining, which I disposed of in the following 

 manner : three were exchanged for common stocks with my 

 friend Mr. S. Bevan Fox ; one I presented to Mr. George Fox, 

 of Kingsbridge; and the last, which was a nucleus without a 

 queen, I fairly stifled and buried, thanking Heaven as I trod in 

 the earth over their grave, that I was at length happily quit of 

 The Egyptian Bee. — A Devonshire Bee-keeper. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Double-bodied Chicken. — We have n letter for " B. B.," which shall 

 be forwarded to him if he will send his address. 



Ducks' Gullets Hanging Down (Omnium).— Docks have no crops; 

 that which appeared to be a mark or division across the gulh t was 

 caused by its being over-loaded, and hanging below its natural position. 

 As soon as a bird shows any similar symptoms, put it in confinement, give 

 it a little water only three'times per day, and feed lightly on meal. If 

 the gullet hangs down, raise it with the hand, and empty it into the 

 stomach. If this is found difficult, hold the patient by the hind lege till 

 it is empty. If this cure the disorder there is some mistake in your feeding. 



Dokking with White Deaf Ears {A. E. C.).— White deaf ears are not 

 an imperfection in a Dorking hen, but they are not desirable. The deaf 

 ear is not a Dorking point. 



Snotters in Poultky (D. H.).— This is a vulgar name for a variety of 

 the roup. Bread stepped in strong ale, and camphorated water a I 

 as chickens will drink it, are both good remedies. The former acts the 

 more rapidly, the latter is the more certain cure. 



Clarifying and Keeping Honey {Busy Bee). — Honey is best clarified 

 by means of a hot- water bath, which may be readily improvt il by putting 

 the jar containing it in a saucepan or boiler of water, which should be 

 placed "ii the lire and boiled until the honey becomes perfectly clear, all 

 impurities being removed by skimming as they arise. Store it in air-tight 

 jars, and keep in a cool place. 



