Me CORPO NE Y-BIEVE, 249 
My friend the ingeniotis and accurate Mr. William Bart- 
rain informs me, that when he was in Weft-Florida, in the 
year 1775, he was fhown, as a curiofity, a bee-hive, 
which, he was told, was the only one in the whole of 
that extenfive country. It had been introduced there from 
England, when the Englifh took poffeflion of Penfacola, 
in the year 1763. Mr. Bartram, however, allows, that 
the honey-bee is now found wild in the country of Eaft- 
Florida, where, he fays, it has been known for a confider- 
able time, perhaps an hundred years. But he is perfua- 
ded, from his inquiries, that itis not a native of the 
country. Mr. Le Page Du Pratz fays * the bees of 
Louifiana lodge in the earth, to fecure their honey from 
the ravages of the bears. Some few indeed,”’ he continues, 
‘“‘ build their combs in the trunks of trees, as in Europe; 
but by far the greateft number in the earth in the lofty 
forefts, where the bears feldom go §.”” The bees here f{po- 
ken of as lodging their honey in the earth,'I am perfuaded, 
are not the true honey-bee, and Mr. Du Pratz’s idea that 
they make choice of the earth to fecure it from the bears 
requires to be better fupported. The honey would be as 
fecure from bears in the cavities of trees as it would in the 
earth. Ihave had an opportunity of feeing many of thefe 
honey-infedts, which lodge their fabric in the earth. They 
are not the apzs mellifica, nor do they belong to this fa- 
mily. They are more nearly allied to the vefpa, or wafp- 
tribe. The bears prove very deftrudtive to their habitations, 
devouring their honey, and killing great numbers of the 
infects. 
“«« As to the circumftance of the bees” extending them- 
felves a little in advance of the white fettlers,” it cannot, 
fays Dr. Belknap, “ be confidered as a conclufive argument 
in favourof their having been firft brought from Europe. 
VOL. Ul. ey It 
§ The Hiftory of Louifiana, &c. page 284. Englifh Tranflation. London: 1774. 8. 
