OR, MANUAL OF THE APIAKY. 



51 



handled. While procuring these bees, Mr. Benton was pros- 

 trated with a fever, and so the bees, during their long voyage 

 to Syria, were neglected. Strange to say, one colony survived 

 the long confinement, but perished soon after reaching Syria. 

 We can not call this journey a failure, as we now have the 

 information that will render a second attempt surely success- 

 ful. What has been learned will make the enterprising bee- 

 keeper more desirous than ever to secure these bees. Their 

 large size, and immense capabilities in the way of wax-secre- 

 tion, as well as honey-storing, give us reason to hope for sub- 

 stantial benefits from their importation. 



Mr. Benton also found A. indica and A. florea on the 

 Island of Ceylon. I have received some of the bees and comb 

 of the former species. The comb is very delicate, the cells 

 (Fig. 7) being only one-sixth of an inch in diameter. The 

 workers are less than one-half of an inch long, brown in color, 

 and their entire abdomens are beautifully ringed with brown 

 and yellow. The drones are black, and very small. The one 

 I have measures an eighth of an inch less in length than does 

 the worker. The queens are leather-colored, and very large as 

 compared with the workers. They are as large as are our 

 Fig. 8. 



Worker-Ce!lti.—A. Fhrm. 

 (From Department of Agriculture.) 



common queens. These bees are very quick, and are domesti- 

 cated on the Island of Ceylon. The workers of A. florea are 

 also banded, and are more beautiful even than those of A. 

 indica. They are very small. The corabs are not larger than 

 one's hand, and so diminutive are the cells (Fig. 8) that 100 



