40 



XH® mimmmiGMm mmm ji&iSMmmiL. 



thus the angry temperament has been sub- 

 dued. 



The Carniolan workers are not only very 

 large, but the abdominal rings of hairs are 

 ver}' plainly marked. The hair is light 

 gi'ay, so that the bees seem distinctly 

 banded. The color of the abdomen is gray- 

 ish black, or dark drab, and so it is not so 

 black as the typical German bee. The 

 wings are large and .■strong. Thus the color 

 of the Carniolan bees, and the light rings of 

 hairs, are the distinguishing characteristics. 



The drones are also gray, hairy "fellows," 

 and very robust of body and wing. 



The Carniolan queen is very large — 

 larger, perhaps, than the queen of any 

 other of our domesticated bees. As is well 

 known, while the comman black queen is 

 very black above, she is lironze-colored be- 

 neath. The typical Carniolan has this rich 

 bronze color for the entire abdomen. The 

 queens vary not a little — some are nearly 

 as black as the German queens, and some- 

 times the bronze is almost as golden as the 

 brightest Italians. Mr. Benton says that a 

 faint yellow or rust-red band sometimes 

 shows in l)0th queens and workers. The 

 thorax is thickly set with gray hairs. 



The variation iu queen and workers 

 would argue for variety versus race ; yet 

 we must rememlier that the range in varia- 

 tion of Italians is nearly as great. 



The qualities of the Carniolan bees are, 

 gi'eat proliticness, exceeding amiability — 

 they are the gentlest of bees; they equal or 

 exceed the German bees as comb-builders, 

 in the whiteness of their comb honey ; 

 are very large; and so, doubtless, have 

 large honey-stomachs; are more quieten 

 the combs, and more beautiful than are the 

 common black bees. It is also claimed that 

 they defend their hives well, and resist 

 severe cold better than most other bees. 



It is further stated that Carniolans are 

 more disturbed by loss of queen than most 

 other bees; are prone to rob, when forced 

 to idleness; and, perhaps, most olijection- 

 able of all, are great swarmers. If this last, 

 however, simply follows from excessive 

 proliticness, and can be easily controlled by 

 an expert apiarist (as I am led to believe, 

 or at least to hope), then the matter is not 

 so objectionable. 



If, as already stated, the German bees 

 are promising, to cross with other races, to 

 produce the coming bee, then surely the 

 Carniolan is pre-eminently so; for these 

 bees possess not only the virtues of the 

 parent bees, but these virtues are exalted 

 in the Carniolans; while they (the Carnio- 

 lans) are strong in many points where the 

 blacks are conspicuously deficient. 



Tlie Italian Bees. 



These bees are so well known that I need 

 not dwell long upon their characteristics. 

 Yet, as before with the German race, it is 

 well to point out their leading character- 

 istics, as a sort of a yard-stick to be used in 

 gauging the other yellow races. 



The Italian worker is very slightly 

 smaller than the German woi-ker. The 

 three anterior abdominal rings are golden 

 yellow in front, and verj- dark behind, thus 

 giving the three-banded appearance, so 

 much admired in these bees. 



The rings of hairs are gray, and the third 

 and fourth are usually very distinct. These 

 hairs are often very white, and hence arose 

 the albino varietj', which, by careful breed- 

 ing, has become agood variety. (These bees 

 are usually very gentle and very hand- 

 some. Further than this, I have failed to 

 discover any superior excellence in the 

 albino bees). The thorax is densely covered 

 with gray, yellow, or brown hair; and be- 

 neath, the body is usually dark, quite or 

 near to the tip. The tongue is longer than 

 the same in the German bee. 



The drone is irregularly marked with 

 dark and yellow above, the amount of yel- 



low varying much in different specimens. 

 Sometimes the yellow appears in rings, and 

 often the entire base, and sometimes the 

 whole abdomen is yellow. The hair is dense, 

 and light-yellow in color. 



The queen also varies much in color. 

 Here the yellow is not iu rings, but marks 

 the upper portion of the abdomen more or 

 less from the base. Frequently the entire 

 upper surface is yellow, though more often 

 a greater or less distance from the tip is 

 dark. 



The yellow color of the queen and work- 

 ers varies not a little. Often we find them 

 very dark, or leather-colored, and, again, a 

 beautiful bright yellow. I am inclined to 

 the opinion that the dull, leather-colored 

 ones are usually juost profitable. It is pos- 

 sible that the brilliant yellow bees have 

 been bred for color alone, and so they have 

 lost, partially, the more desirable charac- 

 teristics of activity and prolificness. 



It is not necessary for me to praise the 

 Italian bees — their works have praised 

 them, as all experienced bee-keepers know. 

 Tbeir longer tongues enable them to gather 

 where the blacks cannot; hence they are 

 often busy while the blacks are idle ; and so, 

 for the nonce robbers, while the Italians are 

 honestly storing. Though not so eager to 

 rob, they are excellent to defend against 

 robbers. Exceedingly active and prolific, 

 very gentle, quiet on the combs, and the 

 queen easily seeu and found — no wonder 

 they have gained a first place in the favor 

 of the apiarian public. 



The fact that Italians are not so ready to 

 go into the supers, and do not produce as 

 white honey as the blacks or Carniolans, 

 argues conclusively that an improvement 

 is possible, and so, desirable. It goes with- 

 out saying, that the Italians would form a 

 valuable pillar — though possibly not the 

 best — in the foundation of the bee of the 

 future. 



The fact that our American Italians are 

 often improved by the introduction of 

 fresh importations, proves that Nature may 

 breed better than man. Nature only con- 

 sults utility — the best is always her cry. 

 Man often reaches for beauty alone — beauty 

 as beauty. Hence while the hard condi- 

 tions of their restricted home in Switzer- 

 land continuall3' improves the Italians, 

 man's selection may not result so happily, 

 unless very wisely made. 



The Cypriaik Race of Bees* 



These bees are slightly slimmer, possibly 

 a trifle smaller, than the Italians, with the 

 alidomen more pointed than the same iu 

 the Italian bees. The two anterior of the 

 three yellow bands are wider than in the 

 Italians ; while beneath the abdomen is yel- 

 low, nearly or quite to the tip. The scutel- 

 lum — the little lunule at the posterior end 

 of the thorax — is bright yellow. This, 

 with the underside of the abdomen, forms 

 the most ready means to identify the Cyp- 

 rian worker. The hair rings are light 

 yellow. 



The drones are slim. The thorax and 

 rings of the abdomen are orange yellow. 

 Each ring on the side of the abdomen is said 

 to always show a black dot. 



The queens are small, and very slender. 

 Their abdomens are long, and ringed, as 

 are the workers, only there are four rings, 

 all of which are dark orange-yellow. The 

 yellow hair on Ihe thorax, and the hair- 

 rings on the abdomen of the same color, 

 consist of dense, fine hair. 



The Cyprian bees are said to vary less 

 than any other race, and are exceedingly 

 beautiful. Fi-om their Island home, we 

 should expect this. Except a lack of amia- 

 bility, these bees are much like the Italians 

 in peculiarities of habits, as well as of 

 structure. 



They are very active, very prolific, not 

 prone to rob, excellent to defend their hives 



against robbers, beautiful to look upon, and 

 the queen is easy to find. That they should 

 be excellent as producers, and cross and 

 irritalile, is easily explained. Cold does not 

 thin them out; but enemies are numerous 

 and active. No wonder, then, that natural 

 selection works here with gi'eat energy and 

 power. 



There are no skilled bee-keepers in Cyprus, 

 so these bees have not been handled much, 

 and we should expect that they would be 

 irritable, and impatient of manipulation. 

 There is no doubt but that with more gen- 

 eral adoption, the objection of tempera- 

 ment would soon disappear. 



I can but think that it was a misfortune 

 that these bees were so soon given up by 

 American bee-keepers. If, even better 

 than the Italians (as there is reason to sup- 

 pose, except iu point of amiability), then 

 doiibtless they would be even better than 

 the Italian bees to cross with the Carniolan, 

 in forming the "coming bee.* I fully be- 

 lieve, that, with handling, the Cyprians 

 would be so modified, even if kept entirely 

 pure, that very soon this irritability would 

 be no objection to the experienced apiarist. 



The Syrian Race of Bees. 



I have had not a little experience with 

 the Syrian bees, and believe them to be the 

 best of the yellow bees. Though irritable 

 at first, they scarcely ever attack a person 

 unless provoked, and, with manipulation, 

 soon become very easy and pleasant to 

 handle. J3 



The workers, when they first come from 

 the cells, are almost like the black bees. 

 The rings are so approximated that the yel- 

 low bauds are almost concealed. After they 

 expand and commence work, they are 

 much like the Italians, except that they are 

 more j-ellow beneath. They are a little 

 smaller, possibly, than the Italians, and are 

 more uniform, and a little brighter. 



The drones are black above, and yellow- 

 ish brown beneath. The legs are black. Each 

 segment of the abdomen is bordered poster- 

 iorily, above, with lirowuish 3-ellow. The 

 hairs above, on the thorax, are olive 

 brown, while on the other parts they are 

 lighter colored. Like all the bees of this 

 race, the drones are wonderfully uniform. 



The queens are black, with four leather- 

 colored bands mai-king the segments from 

 the second to the fifth inclusive. The legs 

 and under side of the abdomeu are yellow. 

 Except that they are not quite as amiable 

 — though with handling they soon become 

 very pleasant to manipulate — I believe that 

 the Syrian bees possess all the virtues of 

 the Italians, and most of them in a more 

 marked degi'ee. 



It is possible that the laying workers ap- 

 pear more (-[uickly iu queenless Syrian col- 

 onies than iu the case of Italians; but this 

 is scarcely a fault, tor colonies should not 

 be allowed to remain queenless; and if 

 such a tendency make the beekeeper more 

 cautious and watchful, then we may well 

 question whether it be a fault. I will say 

 that we have not found this a matter of any 

 moment. 



Again, the Syrians do start many queen- 

 cells. To the careful breeder, this is an ad- 

 vantage, and should be no injury to any 

 bee-keeper. The matter of temper, as al- 

 readj' suggested, need not count against 

 the Syrians ; with handling, it so soon dis- 

 appears. 



Like the other yellow races, these bees 

 are not so ready to go into the surplus cham- 

 ber, nor do they produce quite as white 

 comb honey as do the German bees. 



As the Syrian bees are very prolific, very 

 active, excellent gatherers, breed when 

 there is no storing — due doubtless to the 

 fact that, as with no other race, the nurse- 

 bees feed the queen nitrogenous food, even 

 though the workers are forced to stop gath- 



