536 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



"THE WORKER." 



The abdomen of the Italian worker bee is somewhat longer than that of the 

 native. This is more perceptible Avhen it is gorged with honey or returning to 

 its hive heavily laden with honey. The lower extremity of the abdomen is 

 also more slenderly pointed, which, together with its rich coloring, gives it a 

 more graceful and elegant appearance. The three first abdominal rings (in- 

 cluding the one joined to the waist) are of a beautiful yellow or straw color. 

 The second and third, and sometimes the first, of these rings or bands are edged 

 with a naiTOw border of dark brown or black. The first does not always ex- 

 tend entirely across on the back of the bee, and is very slender, each succeeding 

 one slightly increasing in breadth. Queens which breed any workers with a 

 less number of yellow abdominal rings than three, are assuredly not pure. Where 

 they have the full number of yellowish bands, and those bands are of a smoky 

 cast and black, bordering unusually wide, it is, at least, an indication of doubt- 

 ful purity. It not unfrequently occurs that queens three-fourths pure, breed 

 workers all, or nearly all, thus marked. The temperament of the pure Italian 

 bee is exceedingly gentle. They not only rarely offer to sting, but seldom 

 manifest any anger. Though their hives be opened from day to day the whole 

 season through, the same docility is manifested by pure colonies as when disturbed 

 only a few times during the season, so that this is unquestionably an inherent 

 characteristic. When they do sting, however, it is done with the greatest 

 imaginable determination and force. Any amalgamation between the Italian 

 and native bee destroys their docility, and an equal-bred hybrid, or lower grade 

 of cross between them, is often terrifically ferocious and intractable when greatly 

 aggravated. I have been stung by them with such ferocity that the stinging 

 bee expired in the very act, its abdomen curling up as if itself stung. I can 

 account for this only upon the supposition that, in consequence of the violence 

 of its anger or of the exercise of its force in stinging, its poison-sack is ruptured 

 within it, producing instant death, as its contortion is precisely similar to that 

 which follows when it has been stung by another bee, which produces certain, 

 but not always instant, death. Nothing arouses the anger of bees quicker or 

 to a greater degree than Jhe smell of this poison. Hence, when stung, the 

 sting should be immediately extracted from the wound, and all the odor of 

 poison destroyed by washing, or otherwise. 



The native honey-bee cannot resist partaking of honey or liquid sweets when 

 offered to it, and will gorge itself with them in a few minutes, no matter how 

 angry it may have been at the time of their presentation. Not so with the 

 greatly enraged hybrid, intent upon vengeance. It pays no regard whatever 

 to them, though offered a dozen times ; nor will smoke itself always prove eflli- 

 cacious in subduing it under such circumstances, imless it be confined to its hive 

 and the smoke forced in to such a degree of density as to endanger their 

 lives from suffocation. Kept in this condition for h^f an hour they will be 

 found somewhat subdued ; often, however, a few minutes' breathing of fresh 

 air restores their former vindictiveness, and they resume its manifestation with 

 renewed vigor ; and, though gorged with honey, it does not seem to abate it a 

 particle. Once thoroughly enraged, these degenerates seem to remember it 

 the entire season. In fact, I had one colony which resumed their "sharp prac- 

 tice" in the spring of the following season. There is, however, a great differ- 

 ence in the temperament of different colonies of the impure race, some of the 

 higher Italian grades manifesting much of the gentleness of the pure race. • 

 The physical strength and courage of the Italian bee is greater than that of the 

 native, which it speedily overcomes in either single combat or battle array. A 

 colony of native bees, once attacked by an Italian colony of nearly equal num- 

 bers, cannot successfully resist them, and soon becomse its prey, unless timely 

 Buccor be extended to it. They are by no means conscientious on this 



