29ft FOREIGN BEES, 



Lad often seen "the leetle cliaps collaring the big 

 chaps ;" evidently alluding to the massacre of the 

 drones by the working-bees.* 



The bees of Guadaloupe are decidedly of a diffe- 

 rent character from the European, and are probably 

 of the genus Melipona. This constitutes, according 

 to the system of Illiger and Latreille, a genus dis- 

 tinct from the genus Apis properly so called. In 

 this last, the first articulation of the hinder tarsi is 

 square-shaped, while in those of the other it is tri- 

 angular. From some minute variation of anatomical 

 structure, a portion of the genus Melipona has been 

 formed into a distinct one. under the denomination 

 of Trigones. Latreille specifies the mandibles as a 

 distinctive character, arid classes under the genus 

 Trigones those whose mandibles are toothed, and 

 under that of Melipona, such as have these organs 

 smooth. Their habits also differ ; the former build- 

 ing their nest in the open air, suspended from the 

 branches of trees ; the latter constructing their 



* Since writing the above, the author has received a swarm 

 of Bees from Jamaica, which unfortunately died on the 

 passage. Upon the most minute examination, no difference 

 could be perceived between these strangers and our own 

 home-bred insects, either in the class of Workers or Males; 

 the Queen could not be found. It must be observed, how- 

 ever, that besides this, which we consider identical with the 

 domestic bee of Northern Europe, there is another species 

 cultivated in Jamaica of a small black kind, of the habits of 

 which we are not aware. In one of the combs of the above 

 imported hive, was found the larva represented in PI. Yl.uk. 

 with the moth into which it was metan. orphosed. 



