BEES. 13 
The Italian bees, the next introduced, are the most popular race 
among the best bee keepers in this country, and with good reason. 
They are vigorous workers and good honey gatherers, defend their 
hives well, and above all have been more carefully selected by Ameri- 
can breeders than any other race. Especially for the last reason it is 
usually desirable to keep this race. That almost any other race of 
bees known could be bred to as high a point as the Italians, and per- 
haps higher,.can not be doubted, but the bee keeper now gets the 
benefit of what has been done for this race. It should not be under- 
stood from this that the efforts at breeding have been highly success- 
ful. On the contrary, bee breeding will compare very unfavorably 
with the improvement of other animals or plants which have been 
the subject of breeding investigations. 
Italian bees have been carefully selected for color by some breeders 
to increase the area of yellow on the abdomen, until we now have 
what are known as ‘‘five-banded” bees. These are very beautiful, 
but it ean scarcely be claimed that they are improved as honey pro- 
ducers or in regard to gentleness. They are kept mostly by amateurs. 
Some breeders have claimed to select Italians for greater length of 
tongue, with the object of getting a bee which could obtain the 
abundance of nectar from red clover. If any gain is ever made in 
this respect it is soon lost. The terms ‘‘red-clover bees” or ‘‘long- 
tongued bees” are somewhat misleading, but are ordinarily used as 
indicating good honey producers. : 
Caucasian bees, recently distributed throughout the country by 
this Department, are the most gentle race of bees known. They are 
not stingless, however, as is often stated in newspapers and other 
periodicals. Many report them as good honey gatherers. They are 
more prolific than Italians and may possibly become popular. Their 
worst characteristic is that they gather great quantities of propolis 
and build burr and brace combs very freely. They are most desirable 
bees for the amateur or for experimental purposes. 
Carniolan and Banat bees have some advocates, and are desirable 
in that they are gentle. Little is known of Banats in this country. 
Carniolans swarm excessively unless in large hives. Cyprians were 
formerly used somewhat, but are nowrarely found pure, and are unde- 
sirable either pure or in crosses because of the fact that they sting 
with the least provocation and are not manageable with smoke. They 
are good honey gatherers, but their undesirable qualities have caused 
them to be discarded by American bee keepers. ‘‘Holy-land,’’ 
Egyptian, and Punic (Tunisian) bees have also been tried and have 
been universally abandoned. 
397 
