382 ITALIAN HONEY BEE. 



low (which might be called leather-colored) consti- 

 tutes the ground, and is seemingly barrel over by 

 these slight black edges, or borders. This is most 

 distinctly perceptible when a brood comb, on which 

 bees are densely crowded, is taken out of a hive. 

 The drones differ from the workers in having the up- 

 per half of their abdominal rings black and the lower 

 half an ochrey yellow ; thus causing the abdomen, 

 when viewed from above, to appear annulated. The 

 queen differs from the common kind chiefly in the 

 greater brilliancy of her colors." 



The following advantages have been claimed for 

 the Italian bee over the common kind : 



"First : that the Italian bees are less sensitive to 

 cold than the common kind. Second: that their 

 queens are more prolific. Third: that the colonies 

 swarm earlier and more frequently ; of this, he (Ber- 

 lepsch) has less experience than Dzierzon. Fourth: 

 that they are less apt to sting ; not only are they less 

 apt, but scarcely are they inclined to sting, though 

 they will do so if intentionally annoyed or irritated. 

 Fifth : that they are more industrious. Of this fact, 

 he had but one summer's experience ; but all the re- 

 sults and indications go to confirm Dzierzon's state- 

 ments, and satisfy him of the superiority of this kind 

 in every point of view. Sixth : that they are more 

 disposed to rob than common bees, and more courage- 

 ous and active in self-defense. They strive on all 

 hands to force their way into colonies of common 

 bees ; but when strange bees attack their hives, they 



