HISTORY OF VERMONT. 157 



ans made their first settlements in the country. 

 From the pictures and tribute rolls of the Mex- 

 icans, it appears that the honey bee was known, 

 and that honey was one part of the annual tribute 

 which was paid to their emperors before the ar- 

 rival of the Spaniards. Clavigero^ in his history 

 of Mexico, confirms these accounts ; and men- 

 tions six kind^ of bees which make honey ; 

 two of which have stings, and one in all respects 

 agrees with the honey bee of Europe. A spe- 

 cies of the honey bee, but without stings, was 

 found in Chiapa, and Yucatan. The same ac- 

 cording to Margrave, was found in Brasil. In 

 1540, among the provisions of the natives of 

 Florida, " a pot full of honie of bees," was found 

 by Soto. From these accounts, it is not to be 

 doubted, but that the honey bee was indigenous, 

 and had spread over the empire of Mexico. 

 To the east, it had advanced as far as Florida ; 

 And to the south, to Yucatan, nd the country 

 of Brasil. To an immense ntry, then, the 

 honey bee \. '-idigenous, r ;ommon. There 

 was no cause u he nature c he animal, or of 

 the climate, to \ "ivent their spreading to the 

 northward. The) live in the hollow trees in 

 the woods of Veni nt, from year to year ; and 

 are always found ot their full dimensions, vig- 

 orous, and plentifully supplied with honey ; and 

 they bear the cold of our winters, much better 

 in the hollow of a large tree, than in any of our 

 artificial bee hives. They live and abound in 

 Russia, where the climate is much more severe, 

 than it is in this part of America : They would 

 therefore naturally extend, and spread along the 

 country, where they could find the means of 



VOL, I. U 



