WINTER NUMBER 103 
one can see many different kinds among blossoms and flowers, 
but most of these are of very little economic importance; their 
only value lies in carrying pollen from flower to flower, and for 
this reason they are sometimes called the ‘‘Marriage Priests” of 
the flowers. Higher up in the scale one finds the bumble bees, 
which not only are useful in pollenizing, but store up very small 
quantities of honey. 
While the number of species of these less important bees is 
considerable, only those commonly known as honey bees (of 
the genus Apis) are the ones of real importance as honey pro- 
ducers. 
Of this genus, the great bee of southern Asia (Apis dorsata) 
has been the subject of considerable interest. This giant bee 
builds a very large single comb out in the open, generally sus- 
pended from the branch of a forest tree. On account of its 
fierceness, efforts to domesticate it have not met with success. 
In Mr. Frank C. Pellett’s book, ‘‘Practical Queen Rearing’’, 
mention is made of a number of other species of bees, of which 
the most important is the Apis florea, a very gentle little bee, 
much smaller than the common honey bee, and which builds a 
delicate little comb around a twig. 
But of all species, the common honey bee (Aphis mellifica) is 
the only one that has been found of real value as a honey pro- 
ducer. Of this species a number of varieties occur, namely, the 
Italians, Blacks, Carniolans, etc. 
While the Italians are generally accepted as the most valuable 
bees and are by far the most popular in the United States, some 
very good results have been obtained by the black bee here in 
Florida. The Italian has been tried out under all kinds of con- 
ditions and has proved the most satisfactory, as it is more gentle 
than the blacks and is more resistant to certain diseases. 
Honey bees are not native to America. The wild bees often 
seen in Florida are the descendants of those imported. According 
to the American Bee Journal, the first honey bees were imported 
into Florida by the Spaniards previous to 1763, for they were 
first noticed in West Florida during that year, and it is quite 
probable they were brought to this State first, as they were not 
noticed in any other state until 1780, at which time they were 
observed in Kentucky; in New York in 1793; and west of the 
Mississippi river in 1797. The bees introduced by the Spaniards 
were evidently what is commonly known as the black, or German 
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