260 INQUIRY CONCERNING 
It appears, then, thatthe apzs mellifica, or true honey-bee 
is not a native: of:America, but that we are indebted to Eu-. 
rope for this ufeful infe&. It is difficult to tell at what. 
time this fpecies. of bee was introduced into the different . 
countries of America. I think it probable, however, that,,; 
in general, the emigrant-fettlers would turn their. attenti- . 
on to the honey-bee {oon after they found themfelves pret-.. 
ty well eftablifhed in their new and happy territories. .. 
I have already obferved, that William Penn has made .- 
no mention of bees in his account. of the natural produati- 
ons of Pennfylvania*. It is. probable, therefore, that in. 
the year. 1683, when he wrote the letter, which I have. 
mentioned, thefe infe&ts had-not been introduced into the. . 
Province. But their introduction does not appear to have; - 
been long fubfequent to this period; for-one-Gabriel Tho-. . 
mas, a Quaker-preacher, who refided in.-Pennfylvania, - 
for about fifteen. years, viz. from 1681. to 1696, fpeaks.- 
of them in the following words: ‘* Bees thrive and mul-. 
tiply.exceedingly in thofe parts, the Sweeds often get great, 
ftore of them in the: woods,.-where they are free from any. . 
Body. Honey (and-.choice:too) is fold in-the Capital. City. 
for Five Pence per Pound}. Wax, is alfo plentiful, cheap,. 
and a,canfiderable-Commerce}”’»: Fhe fame. author, in. | 
his Hifforical defcription of the province and country of: 
Weft-New-=Jer/ey, {ays this province 1s “ well. provided”. ° 
with bees:§. : | 
_ Perhaps, it will be thought that. I-have-devoted more: 
time to this inquiry than the fubje& merited. I will allow,. 
that the queftion is not of much confequence to, mankind,, - 
at large; but to a fociety of philofophers, every elucida- . 
tion of a difputed point in natural hiftory cannot but be, 
in. 
.* See page-25r. ; 
+ He means fterling. , 
$ An hiftorical and geographical account of the province and country of Penfilvania, &c,. 
page 23. London: 1698. &vo. 
§ See page 25. London: 1698. 8vo, 
