178 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



THE APIS DORSATA. 



Now tliat Mr. Frank Benton will be 

 sent in search of this wonderful bee, it 

 may be interesting to Icnovv sometliing 

 about them. The extract below is 

 from the '•'•Beekeepers' Handy Bo.>k" 

 edition 1883. 



Very little is known of the true 

 merits and value of tiiis new race of 

 bees (-'the Apis dorsata" or bee of 

 Ceylon). True, a number of veiy in- 

 teresting articles have been written re- 

 garding tliem, some of wliicli extol 

 their good qualities and beautifully 

 picture them sipping from tiie flowers 

 large quantities of the precious nectar 

 inaccessible as yet to otlier races ; Init 

 the facts in the case do not seem to 

 warrant such imaginations even. 



From all the information which we 

 are able to glean regarding them, they 

 seem to be rather indolent and shift- 

 less, with no particular ''care for the 

 morrow," losing what little energy 

 they do possess when made queenless, 

 and carrying a weapon of defence, 

 which would almost defy a coat of 

 mail. 



In 1881, Mr. Frank Benton, agent 

 for D. A. Jones, made a voyage to 

 Java and Ceylon, in search of this 

 race of bees, and after many long and 

 tiresome journe3's through almost im- 

 penetrable jungles, alone, and thou- 

 sands of miles from his home and 

 fellow countrymen, he secured two col- 

 onies of these bees ; but, owing to ex- 

 posure, over-exertion and the poison- 

 ous atmos[)here, he contracted an al- 

 most fatal attack of the jungle malarial 

 fever, and was unable to give proper 

 attention to the preparation of the bees 

 for their long journey, the result being 

 that they died when they had neaily 

 reached their destination. It is to be 

 hoped that at son)e future day, other 

 and successful attemi)ts will be made 

 to secure and fully test them. Much 

 credit is certainly due Messrs. Jones 

 and Benton, although unsuccssful, for 

 the untiring energy and perseverance 

 displayed in doing their part so well. 



CUAPvACTERISTICS AND MATiKINGS OF THR 

 APIS DOHSATA. 



Mr. Benton, in a letter to Mr. Jones, 

 calls them "wonderful bees as large as 

 queens, blue-backs, with shining blue 

 wings and orange-colored bands under 

 them, having the np[)earance of great 

 wasp-colored hornets, beautiful but 

 dangerous looking, irritable and very 

 tenacious when excited, and after be» 

 coming queenless the}' would take no 

 care of the brood and soon dwindle 

 away. Again, while very ferocious in 

 their forest home, where nothing but 

 smoke will subdue them, yet they can 

 be liandled with no fear and without 

 smoke, when in movable frame hives, 

 l)rovide(l they are not jarred or breathed 

 upon, and no quick motion made. 

 They build coml)s four or five feet long 

 and three or three and one-quarter 

 broad, with about one and one-half 

 bushels of bees to the swarm. They 

 do not repair combs readily after be- 

 ing transferi'ed, and seem to inherit 

 many of the characteristics of our well- 

 known billable bee. 



Mr. Benton also secured specimens 

 of other races, but did not fei'l warrant- 

 ed in importing them as he did not 

 consider them very valuable. 



Any yearly subscriber to the Api 

 will be given a 3-line ad. free, under 

 the head of wants, exchange, etc. 



The same can be run one 3-ear for 

 $1.00 in addition to price of Api. 



If you have anything to sell or de- 

 sire to exchange goods, you can do no 

 better than insert an ad. in the Api. 

 Tiy it. 



Send us three subscribers and $2.25 

 cash and we will mail three coi)ies of 

 the Api one year and present a beau- 

 tiful golden Carniolan queen to the 

 getter-up of the club. 



P^or six new subscribers and $4.50 

 a M^arranted Punic queen will be given 

 the person who will take the trouble 

 to get up a club of that number. 



