high, broad range of mountains, has a sort 

 of bees quite different and even superior to 

 the Dalmatian bees ; at least we have good 

 testimony to that effect. This bee does not 

 have the slim, wasp-like body of the Dal- 

 matian, nor is it as black ; it has, however, 

 one other mark which distinguishes it from 

 the Dalmatians ; the first ring of the abdo- 

 men, when examined closely, is found to be 

 yellowish and semi-transparent. These 

 bees are, when properly managed, very 

 mild in their behavior, are more industrious, 

 the gathering qualities being decidedly 

 better, and the queens are more prolific than 

 their neighbors— the Dalmatian bees. Both 

 the Dalmatian and Herzegovinian bees, 

 having been developed in mountainous 

 regions, are of strong flight, and go farther 

 after honey than our own bees. 



SMYRNIANS, 



are another variety of bees which several 

 apiarists in Europe, having tried, praise very 

 highly. The editor of a European journal 

 of apiculture having been presented a colo- 

 ny of Smyrnian bees in 1873, said in 1875, 

 when comparing them with his other bees : 

 "This colony works like a giant." These 

 bees come from the region about Smyrna in 

 Western Asia. Those colonies brought to 

 Europe contained some bees that were 

 entirely black and others having orange- 

 yellow or redish bands, their bodies pointed, 

 wasp-like, but strong. The queens have 

 three orange-yellow bands, and are not as 

 black on other portions of the body as the 

 workers. In latitude 50° N., on a line with 

 Newfoundland, Southern British America, 

 and Vancouver's Island, these bees have 

 distinguished themselves by the manner in 

 which they have wintered, remaining free 

 from disease when other colonies were 

 affected. They fly earlier and later in the 

 season, also earlier and later during 

 chilly days, than do the common bees. They 

 have likewise proven themselves very 

 active, gentle, and the queens exceedingly 

 prolific. They defend their hives from 

 robber bees with great bravery, and quite 

 as well when queenless as at other times. 

 They are not inclined to start drone brood 

 when they become queenless. The variation 

 in color indicates that this is not a fixed race 

 of bees. But the Smyrnians, where intro- 

 duced had to make way for a still nobler 

 race, 



THE CYPRIAN BEES, 



from the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus, 

 so renowned in the poetrv and history of 

 ancient times. This race has been alluded 

 to so often in our bee publications (see Bee- 

 Keepers' Magdzlnefor July, 1874. Sept. and 

 Oct., 1875, Feb., Mar., Apr. and May, 1S76 ; 

 American Bee Journal, for Sept.and Oct., 

 '77, July,'78; that all one cares to ask is: "Are 

 the good things said of them some years 

 ago in Europe, fully substantiated by actual 

 experience ?" To this I reply emphatically, 

 Yes! One colony of these bees was im- 

 ported from Cyprus to Bohemia in 1866, but 

 through mismanagement died the following 

 winter. The same party obtained another 

 colony from the Island in 1872, and two more 

 in 1874. Descendants of these later importa- 

 tions have been obtained by many prominent 



apiarists in Central Europe. At the great 

 Strasbourg Convention in 1875, a prize of 

 $10. was given to Herrn Hilbert for his 

 Cyprian bees ; and not long since the 

 Bohemian Bee-keepers' Association, com- 

 posed of 800 members, bestowed upon Herrn 

 Corl, as a recognition for his great services 

 in the importation and acclimating of 

 Cyprian bees, a diploma betokening the 

 highest honors. Herr W. Honzejk, an 

 intelligent teacher and bee culturist in 

 Bohemia, after some years' experience with 

 Cyprian bees, recently proposed a plan for 

 their general distribution in Bohemia. He 

 advises the. Bohemian apiarian society to 

 establish an apiary to be devoted to the 

 rearing of Cyprian queens for members of 

 the society, merely charging for each queen 

 enough to fully cover expenses. Referring 

 to the few who do not regard this race in a 

 favorable light, he says: "These gentle- 

 men, or others of like mental caliber, may 

 yet, with us prizers of the Cyprian bee, say, 

 ' Certainly this bee has a future.' Whoever 

 does not believe this should consider the 

 results obtained with this bee in various 

 apiaries in our country, and then talk like a 

 sensible, truth-loving man." Before Cyprus 

 was annexed by Great Britain, Herr von 

 Natzmer earnestly advised through the 

 Bienenzeitung its annexation by Germany, 

 in order that under the control of the 

 government, the culture of the Cyprian 

 bees in their purity might be carried on 

 there. In almost every instance in Ger- 

 many, where the Cyprian bee has been 

 tried it is called " eine hochedle Bienen- 

 Rasse" literally, "a high, noble bee-race." 

 When, in the face of this mass of testimony, 

 I find men of little or no experience with 

 them, who sneeringly assert that it is all "a 

 humbug," I am reminded of the obstinacy 

 with which a few opposed the views con- 

 cerning Italians, now entertained by nearly 

 all the apiarists of the country. 



BEES OP JAPAN. 



From a report published by the Japanese 

 minister of education the following items 

 are gleaned : " In the province of Sinano 

 there are two varieties— one grayish-yellow, 

 the other having yellow spots. In the region 

 of Hikigoie, a province of Latsuma, the 

 bees are brown and very small. The bees 

 of the province of Unschiu, are similar in 

 form to those last mentioned ; they are very 

 tame, and bear the name Kinbatsi (gold- 

 bee). In this province two other races are 

 found: (the "wild honey-bee," and the 

 " bear honey-bee "), whose wildness, it is 

 said, make their cultivation very difficult." 



NUMEROUS SPECIES 



of Trigone, stingless bees inhabiting the 

 East Indies, could be found, while investi- 

 gating other bees there found. The " black 

 bee of Africa," and the " bag-pipe bee " 

 (apis amalthea), of the West Indies ; the 

 latter said " to furnish the sweetest and 

 best-tasting honey," are other races or 

 species about which positive information is 

 lacking. 



THE BEES OF CAUCASUS, 



or Caucasian bees, according to Professor 

 Boutelerow, a skillful Russian apiarist, 



