280 



THE AMEETCAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[JXJNE, 



tion in the Eji^yptian Inero^lypliics, wherein the 

 bee occurs as the symbol of royalty, clearly 

 shows that their economy, with a monarch at 

 its head, was known ; a hive, too, being figured, 

 as Sir Gardner AVilkinson tells us, upon a very 

 ancient tomb at Thebis, is early evidence of its 

 domestication there, and how early even histori- 

 cally, it was brought under the special dominion 

 of mankind. 1 adduce these particulars, merely 

 to intimate how very early, even in tlie present 

 condition of tlie earth, bees were beneficial to 

 mankind, and that, therefore, the connection 

 may liave subsisted, as I have previously urged, 

 on the remotest and very primitive ages of the 

 existence of man ; and that imperatively with 

 them, the entire family of man, of which they 

 form a unit only, was also created. 



In America, wliere apismelUfica is of European 

 introduction, swarms of these bees, escaping do- 

 mestication, resume their natural condition, and 

 have pressed forward far into the uncleared wild ; 

 and widely in advance of the conquering colo- 

 uist, they have taken their abode in the primi- 

 tive unreclaimed forest. Nor do they remain 

 stationary, but on. still on, with every successive 

 year, spreading in every direction ; and thus 

 surely indicating to tlie aboriginal red man, the 

 certain, if even slow, approach of civilization, 

 and the consequent necessity of his own protec- 

 tive retreat — a strong instance of the distribu- 

 tive processes of nature. It clearly shows how 

 the wild bees may have similarly migrated in all 

 directions from the ceutre of Iheir origin. Tliat 

 they are now found at the very ultima Thule, so 

 far away from their assumed incunabula, and 

 with such apparent existing obstructions to their 

 distributive process, is a proof, had we no other, 

 that the condition of the earth must have been 

 geographically very dift'erent at the period of 

 their beginning, and that vast geological changes 

 have, since then, altered its physical features, 

 "Where isLniids now exist, these must then have 

 formed portions of widely sweeping continents, 

 and seas have been dry laud, which have since 

 swept over the same area, insulating irregular 

 portions by the submergence of irregular inter- 

 vals, and thus have left them in their present 

 condition, with their then ex'.sting inhabitants 

 restricted to tlie circuit they now occupy. Tliat 

 long periods of time must necessarily have 

 elapsed to have effected this by the methods we 

 still see in operation, is no proof that it has not 

 been. Nature, in her large operations, has no 

 I'egard for the duration of time. Her courses 

 are so sure that they are ever eventually suc- 

 cessful ; for as to lier, whose permanency is not 

 computable, it matters not what period the pro- 

 cess takes ; and she is as indifferent to the 

 seconds of time, whereby man's brevity is span- 

 ned, as she is to the waste lulness of her own 

 exuberant resources, knowing that neither is lost 

 in the result at which she reaches ; consuming 

 the one, and scattering broadcast the other, but 

 in unnoticable infinitesimals, slie does it irre- 

 spective of the origin, the needs, or the duration 

 of man, who can only watch her irrepressible 

 advances by transmitting from generation to 

 generation the records of his observation ; mark- 

 ng thus by imaginary stations the coarse of the 



incessant stream which carries him upon its 

 surface. 



That other bees are found besides social bees, 

 may be new to some of my readers, who will 

 perhaps learn now, fen- the first time, that col- 

 lective similarities of organization and habits 

 associate other insects with " the bee," as bees. 

 Although the names of "domestic bee," "honey 

 bee," or "social bee," imply a contradistinction 

 to some other "bee," yet it must have been very 

 long before even the most acute observer could 

 have noticed the peculiarities of structure which 

 constitute other insects "bees," and ally the 

 "wild bees" to the "domestic bee," from the 

 deficiency of artificial means to examine mi- 

 nutely the organization whereby the affinity is 

 clearly proved. This is also further shown in 

 the poverty of our language in vernacular terms 

 to express them distinctively ; for even the name 

 of "wild bees," in as far as it has been applied 

 to any except the "honeybee" in a wildened 

 state, is a usage of modern introduction, and of 

 date subsequent to their examination and appre- 

 ciation. Our native tongue, in the words " bee," 

 "wasp," "fly," and "ant," compasses all those 

 thousands of different winged and unwinged in- 

 sects which modern science comprises in two 

 very extensive orders in entomology of the Hi/- 

 menoptera and the Diptera, — thus exhibiting how 

 very poor common language is in words to denote 

 distinctive differences in creatures even when 

 the differences are so marked, and the habits so 

 dissimilar, as in the several groups constituting 

 these orders. But progressively extending knowl- 

 edge, and a more familiar intimacy with insects 

 and their habits, will doubtless, in the course of 

 time, supervene, as old aversions, j^rcjudices, 

 and superstitions wear out, when by the light of 

 instruction we shall gradually arouse to perceive 

 that "His breath has passed that way too ;" and 

 that, theiefore, they all put forth strong claims 

 to the notice and admiration of man. 



It is highly improbable that ordinary language 

 will ever find distinctive names to indicate genera, 

 and far less species ; and although we have some 

 few words which combine large groups, such as 

 "gnats," "fleshflie.s," "gadflies," "gallflies," 

 "dragon flies," "sand wasps," "bumblebees," 

 &c., etc. ; and, although the small group, which 

 it is my purpose to describe hereafter in all their 

 attractive peculiarities, has had several vernacu- 

 lar denominations aj^plied to them to indicate 

 their most distinctive characteristics, such as 

 "cuckoo bees," "carpenter bees," "mason 

 bees," "carding bees," &c., yet many which 

 are not thus to be distinguished will have to wait 

 long for tlieir special appellation. 



The first breathings of spring bring forth the 

 bees. Before the hedgerows and the trees have 

 burst their buds, and expanded their yet delicate 

 green leaves to the strengthening influence of 

 the air, and whilst only here and there the whole 

 blossoms of the black thorn sparkle around, 

 and patches of chickweed sjjread their bloom in 

 attractive humility on waste bits of ground in 

 corners of fields, tliey are abroad. Their hum 

 will be heard in some very favorite sunny nook, 

 where- the precious primrose spreads forth its 

 delicate jjale blossoms, in the modest confidence 



