AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL.. 71 9 



Another peculiarity was observed in the flight of the drones when circling 

 around the bee-yard — nothing out of the ordinary was observed. On Aug. 20 the 

 atmosphere was a little smoky, the sun shone, and drones flew well. The wind was 

 west, and their movements were to the east. When on long excursions they flew 

 backward with a circular or wabbling motion, with their head to the wind. Being 

 a fine day for observing their movements, I followed their course for half a mile. 

 They could be seen wabbling away over the blue waters of Lake Ontario, probably 

 on a visit to Uncle Sam's domains. As a rule they fly with the wind. This is a fine 

 place to make observations, there being nothing to mar the vision. 



Drones from Laying Workers. — I also made some experiments with drones 

 from laying workers, two yellow queens being mated, and as yet I cannot see any 

 difference in the stock produced so far, but we had probably better wait and see how 

 they come out later, as it was the last experiment tried. One was mated Oct. 12, 

 and laid eggs and produced stock about half and half. The drones were black. 

 They were hatched in drone-cells, and were fine, large drones. The other queen 

 laid eggs, but was put into winter quarters before the brood hatched. I put several 

 queens into the cellar that were not fertile, and proposed putting their drones on 

 the island early in spring, and have no doubt they will be able to reproduce those 

 yellow drones, as I found some on the bottom of the hives last winter in the cellar. 



Breeding for Color.— Some prominent breeders profess to be able to make 

 steel-gray Carniolans yellow by in-breeding, in four generations. It is an established 

 fact that like produces like, or a similarity. You may as well tell me that you can 

 take the negro and do the same thing — I won't believe you — or the Jew. The Jews 

 in Poland, in Australia, in London, and in New York, are the same. How is this ? 

 Because there is no mingling of his organization with that of another. Permanence 

 of race is established, and a thoroughbred. The same I think can be said of the 

 Carniolan race of bees. We admit freaks in nature, of which there are many on 

 record, and many we have seen — such as Albinos. They are to be found in every 

 race ; and red has often been produced after 50 years of straight breeding from 

 solid blacks, and black from solid reds. I once saw a light bay colt produced with a 

 black back and sides, the result of the servant throwing his black overcoat over the 

 mother's back at conception, which somewhat frightened her ; and a neighbor of 

 mine has in his possession a perfectly white robin which was bred in his garden last 

 season. 



Many more could be given which 1 have seen, but this will suffice. These are 

 incidentals. Climate, food, and habit are the principal causes of variation which we 

 have in any way under our control. We all know that changes produced under those 

 conditions are slow, but accurate. Any who profess to be able to produce those 

 sudden changes of color in any race or class of animated nature by in-breeding must 

 be endowed with supernatural power. We can refer to Jacob of old. Jacob was a 

 scientist of ancient repute, and his theory is practiced by some to-day with success. 

 Having already referred to impressions at the time of conception, it would be need- 

 less to say, although its effects are visible among some of our domestics, we have not 

 got it down so fine as to apply it to changing color of queens. 



INTRODUCTION OF QUEENS. 



BY GEO. W. BRODBECK. 



In all likelihood there is nothing connected with the bee-keeping industry that 

 has resulted in so many disappointments to novices in particular, and even those 



