THE bees' position IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 9 



reached the particular position in the animal kingdom allotted to 

 true bees. The family A p idee is divided into genera. In one of 

 the divisions termed ^p/s honey-bees are placed ; accompanying 

 them are mason-bees, carpenter-bees, &c. These latter are short- 

 tongued members of the genus, and therefore are not honey- 

 gatherers. Nevertheless, the habits of the whole of them are 

 extremely interesting. Of long and short tongued bees there are 

 about 2000 varieties. The genus Apis is split into species, and the 

 honey-bee belongs to the species Mellifica, and here is the exact 

 position assigned to our friend, the harbinger of civilized man — 

 one of the very few insects that have been domesticated for his use, 

 and the only one that he has brought under his subjugation as an 

 auxiliary in supplying him with that highly essential article of diet, 

 honey. 



Nevertheless, every member of the species is not equally pro- 

 fitable from a commercial point. Some varieties of this species are 

 profitable only as wax-producers. When we consider the increasing 

 demand in the Home market for Australian bees-wax, the 

 quantity of honey consumed by our hive bees in the production of 

 comb, and our local .requirements for the manufacture of that 

 indispensable adjunct to profitable bee-keeping, artificial founda- 

 tion comb, it at once raises the question : — Would it not be a 

 prudent step to introduce into our State some highly profitable 

 wax-producers ? 



