762 



Tmm aMERicsif mmm journmi^. 



The Italians seem to be the favorite 

 race of bees ia this State, though I find 

 the Cj-prians to be well suited for our 

 mouutaiu ranges. Thej' seem to have 

 greater wing-power than any other. 

 The}' are quick to resent an injurj', 

 and will give you a warm reception 

 wlien all are at home on a cold day. 



The average number of colonies kept 

 in this county is about 14,500. The 

 average yield of honey to the colony is 

 about 70 pounds. My apiaries of 552 

 colonies produced about 317 pounds to 

 the colony in one. Some smaller ones 

 gathered 400 pounds to the colony, 

 that of Mr. Wm. Whitaker, of Piru 

 City. Last year some apiaries gath- 

 ered no honej-. One apiary in the 

 county, of 280 colonies, this year gath- 

 ered 12 tons of honey from the wild 

 hoar-hound. The color of the honey 

 is not as light as our sage honey. It has 

 a little bitter taste, and is equal to 

 hoar-hound candy for colds. It ought 

 to bring a fancy price for medicinal 

 purposes. 



Ventui-a, Calif. 



ALBINO BEES. 



Are tliey a maiforniation or a 

 Diseased OrsanUni i 



WrttUn for the American Bee Journal 

 BY C. J. ROBINSON. 



On page 774 of Oleanings for Oct. 

 1, 1889, Prof. A. J. Cook gives his 

 opinion of Albino bees as follows : 



It is well known that a true albino is 

 really a diseased or imperfect organism. 

 For some cause, the tissues which usually 

 secrete pigment, or coloring matter, are 

 unable to do so. The hair is white, the ex- 

 posed skin is pink, as its transparency hides 

 not the blood in the superficial blood-ves- 

 sels, and for like cause the eyes are pink. 

 Thus the skin in a human albino is tender, 

 and the ej'es are so unprotected that they 

 cannot bear the light of day. A hare lip is 

 no more a malformation than is albinoism. 

 The fact that man, by selection, has per- 

 petuated this peculiarity in some animals 

 makes it none the less a diseased condition. 

 All animals tend to reproduce unfavorable 

 as well as useful peculiarities. 



I have read that albinos often intermarry, 

 and thus there is unfortunately a tendency 

 to increase and perpetuate this diseased 

 condition among people. Now, I do not 

 think this any argument against the so- 

 called albino bees. Seientificallv such t>ees 

 are not albinos. They are not white. They 

 only show more white than others of their 

 race. Thus, if I am correct, these bees are 

 no worse for their characteristics. They 

 are not physiologieally deficient as are true 

 albinos, but only sports, or more properly, 

 varieties. Now, if, as varieties, they hare 

 valuable characteristics, as their friends 

 claim, then they are superior Their lighter 

 color enables us to distinguish them, and, 

 if persistent, marks them as a distinct 

 variety. They are no better or worse for 

 it. While the name albino is not really 

 correct as applied to these bees, yet there 

 is no harm in its use. As yet, I have never 

 seen any true albino bees. " Yet I have seen 

 albino crickets and cocki-oaches. 



There is no reason why we may not have 

 one of these pyhsiologically imperfect bees. 

 Even should this occur, it would cause no 

 trouble. We all know that albino bees, as 

 sold in the market, are simply a light 

 variety of the Italian race, and no trouble 

 need occur. True albinos wUl be very rare, 

 at best, and never can cause any serious 

 misunderstanding. A. J. Cook. 



In the above Prof. Cook asserts that 

 " it is well known that a true Albino 

 is really a diseased or imperfect or- 

 ganism." His affirmation is not so 

 " well known" to learned men (other 

 than himself) that it is admitted as 

 being true in any sense. He offers no 

 evidence, no authorit}', in support of 

 his claim, and there is valid reason for 

 his default, for none exist ; the affir- 

 mation is dependent on fiction alone, 

 instead of being based on science. 



What would Prof. Cook have under- 

 stood by his use of the term " disease ?" 

 Disease signifies not at ease, expres- 

 sive of an abnormal condition ; while 

 ease is expressive of normal condition. 

 Prof. C. says that " a hare lip is no 

 more a malformation that is albino- 

 ism." It cannot be "well known" 

 that a hare lip, or malformation, or 

 imperfect organism, hears any relation 

 to disease ! A hare lip is a deformity, 

 a malformation, while albinoism is a 

 perfect organism, the structure being 

 complete though differing in certain 

 respects. A creature of variegated 

 color is not thereby deformed. A negro 

 of the darkest type is identical (so far 

 as organism m.ay be considered) with 

 the whitest specimen of the race, and 

 the case is the same with all the shades 

 of color between the two extremes. 



Prof. Cook claims that all albinos 

 .are constitutionally diseased, and that 

 in the reproduction of albinos, "there 

 is a tendency to increase and perpet- 

 uate this diseased condition among 

 people." This "disease" is his as- 

 sumption. The disease could not be 

 perpetuated if it does not exist, and he 

 has not produced corroborating testi- 

 mony that it ever did exist. 



It is well known that albinoism has 

 been perpetuated during all ages, and 

 it continues the same, independent of 

 disease. It is well known that albino- 

 ism occurs in the bovine races — albino 

 cows — yet the milk of those cows never 

 proved to be uiihealtlu". Had it been 

 a fact that albinoism is evidence of 

 constitutional disease, the milk se- 

 creted by albino cows would be pois- 

 oned by the disease. 



The Professor alleges that the " skin 

 in a human albino is tender." This 

 assei-tion is not susceptible of proof — 

 is not true, so far as my observation 

 extends, and I have investigated the 

 subject— some human albinos reside 

 near by me. 



Again, he affirms that the " eyes are 

 so unprotected that they cannot bear 

 tlie light of day." What are the facts 



in the case ? In albinos the iris of 

 their eyes appear red, from its great 

 vascularity. As the pigment in the 

 coats of the eye serves to diminish the 

 stimulus of the light upon the retina, 

 albinos generally cannot bear a strong 

 light ; on the other hand, they are bet^ 

 ter in the dark than others. Because 

 human albinos do not well bear a 

 strong light, perhaps the Professor 

 fancies that it is occasioned by disease, 

 like a hare lip. 



Albinoism in the human species is 

 simply this : The coloring-matter is 

 secreted between the cuticle and the 

 true skin, and whatever may be the 

 color secreted — whether it be white of 

 an uncommon hue, or other color — it 

 is normal and regular, however much 

 it differs from any common order. 

 None have authority to decide that 

 any born color is a " phvsiological de- 

 fect." 



Learned Buckminister wrote : " The 

 shafts of disease (not hare lips) shoot 

 across our path in such a variety of 

 courses, that the atmosphere of the 

 human life is darkened bj' their num- 

 ber, and the escape of an individual 

 becomes almost miraculous." He had 

 no reference to " shafts" of hare lips, 

 or malformation, or imperfect organ- 

 isms. 



Shakespeare said : " We are all dis- 

 eased ;" and why may not all bees be a 

 little out of " kilter ?" 



The so-called albino bees are a type 

 of bees of the family showing more or 

 less yellow, but the hairs on the thorax 

 appear white — hence the name, " al- 

 bino." The term albino signifies, in 

 Latin, albus, white. The scientific 

 name being Jeucopathy or leiicosis. The 

 Professor declares that the so-called 

 albino bees are not white, and "scien- 

 tifically such bees are not albinos." 

 However, the distinguishing name is 

 a more valid one than the name ■' Ital- 

 ian," which he applies to bees more or 

 less j-ellow. " .Scientificallj- " he never 

 saw any Italian bees. He uses the 

 term " Italian bees." Now I will fol- 

 low him and demur to his calling any 

 known type of bees "Italians." No 

 type of bees are indigenous in Italy, 

 but all are truly exotic in that coun- 

 try, and different types of bees have 

 become natives of Italy, as well as in 

 other countries. Bees, showing more 

 or less j-ellow, have become natives of 

 several countries. Italian, when ap- 

 plied to bees, is truly a misnomer. 



If the learned Professor desires and 

 attempts to educate bee-keepers in the 

 use of scientific terms, and the applica- 

 tion thereof technically, why not begin 

 at home ? Undoubtedly the so-called 

 Italian and all j'ellow bees are Egyp- 

 tian bees, for they had their origin in 

 that country ; at least, the first came 

 to notice in Lower Egypt. 



