AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



381 



1. From what I have read, and judg- 

 ing from my own experience, I lean to 

 the opinion that the Italians are a mixed 

 race. 2. It is claimed for the imported 

 queens that they produce as evenly 

 marked, and as good or better workers, 

 than home-bred Italians, but none as 

 finely marked as the handsomest Ameri- 

 can-bred. — S. I. Freeborn. 



1. Yes, as much as the black or the 

 Cyprian. 2. Because our ideal Italian 

 bee is above the existing standard in 

 color. 3. The same causes that make 

 sports in all races of animals. Black 

 bees are not all alike. If they were, no 

 one could try to introduce varieties like 

 the Carniolan and the so-called Punic, 

 which evidently differ slightly from 

 other black bees. — Dadant & Son. 



1. As the word " race " is usually un- 

 derstood, the Italians are a pure race. 

 2. For the same reason that some of our 

 home-reared do not " produce as beauti- 

 ful, evenly and well marked bees" as 

 some others do. 3. I suppose it is be- 

 cause they like to " sport," but I do not 

 believe they "sport " more than others, 

 and then for the same reasons. — A. B. 

 Mason. 



1. It is not. 2. As the' type is not 

 fixed, they cannot expect to be uniform. 

 I am of the opinion that all of our bees 

 — Italians, Cyprians, Syrians, Carnio- 

 lans and Germans — are of one species, 

 and sprung from the same stock. Hence, 

 I think it an error to call the crosses 

 between any of these varieties "hy- 

 brids." There are no hybrid bees. 3. 

 The above answers No. 3. — M. Mahin. 



1. No. 2. The reason is, American 

 breeders select the finest marked speci- 

 mens to breed from, and thereby in- 

 crease the beauty and uniformity of the 

 home-bred bees. 3. The Italian bees 

 "sport" in breeding, because they are 

 not a pure race in the sense of unmixed 

 blood. No pure-blooded race will habit- 

 ually sport in breeding as do the im- 

 ported mothers from Italy. But the 

 Italian bee is a distinct type or variety 

 of bees, and there is no impropriety in 

 speaking of them as pure Italians. — G. 

 W. Demaree. 



1. Yes. I know this will meet some 

 opposition, but I do believe the queens 

 and bees we get from Italy are pure 

 Italian bees, regardless of color. There 

 may be a slight mixture, but no history 

 that I have read substantiates it. 2. 

 One reason is, they strike a " sporting" 

 country when they come to America, 

 and our fancy-minded bee-lveepers are 

 not satisfied to let their home-bred 



queens take their chance among a whole 

 apiary of Italian bees, but favor them 

 with tlie yellowest drones. Hence, the 

 bees are brightest. This is measuring 

 everybody's corn by ray half-bushel. 3. 

 For some of the reasons above, and 

 otliers that I do not know, but our pota- 

 toes, cabbage, and the like, will sport 

 anyhow, and for what reason I cannot 

 tell. This is a deep question. — Mrs. 

 Jennie Atchley. 



1. I think the most of the Italian bees 

 are a pure and distinct race of bees. 

 There are distinct races of men, but 

 they all "sport" in color as well as in 

 other characteristics. 2. The Italian 

 bee is not so much bred for color in 

 Italy. Some breeders in this country, 

 by breeding in-and-in, and by the intro- 

 duction of Cyprian blood, have produced 

 very beautiful bees. This is all right if 

 the more valuable characteristics are 

 preserved, which too often is not the 

 case. 3. I do not know that they sport 

 in color more than the general law of 

 variation produces in pure races. — P. H. 

 Elwood. 



1. Italian bees are certainly a distinct 

 variety, or as some call it — race. 2. 

 Italians do not breed their bees for color, 

 beauty or golden-bands ; while here in 

 America, that appears to be the greatest 

 aim of breeders. In Italy the bees are 

 dark, and there are black (or what ap- 

 pear to be black) bees there too. We 

 noticed this fact while there, and to it 

 we called the attention of the gentlemen 

 who accompanied us, while " on the 

 spot." 3. Italian bees do not "sport" 

 any more than any other animals or 

 plants. — The Editor. 



Five-Banded Bees.— Mr. O. F. 



Wilkins, of International Bridge, Ont., 

 on March 8, 1892, asks this question : 



Who was the originator of that strain 

 of Italian bees known as the "five- 

 banded golden Italians ?" 



As we might not give credit to the 

 right person, and thu^ do some injustice 

 by answering hastily, we invite those 

 interested in these bees to present their 

 claims to priority in private letters to 

 the editor. Then an answer will be 

 given in the Bee Journal in accord- 

 ance with the facts ascertained in the 

 case. To publish all the letters would 

 result in confusion, and nuiy not be 

 advisable. We will determine that later. 



