THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



125 



lie stated that his experience of the "diminutive 

 of the Ligti'ian" was similar to my own in that 

 they were "very savage." It is certainly not a 

 little singular that identically the same variety of 

 honey bee should be found in the extreme south 

 as exists in the north of Africa and adjoining- 

 parts of the xisiatic continent; but as, although 

 separated by so vast a distance, it was but too ap- 

 parent that there was no amelioration in the 

 pugnacity of their disposition, I respectfully de- 

 clined to avail myself ot the opportunity thus 

 offered of renewing my acquaintance with the 

 "pretty yaller gals," electing rather to transfer 

 my attentions and pay court to the very inter- 

 esting but anonymous little African " niggers," 

 which my friend had somewhat vaguely de- 

 scribed us "small black" bees. 



Pending the receipt of farther intelligence, I 

 made an effort to penetrate the incognito of my 

 intended protegees by submitting the question to 

 my friend Mr. F. Smith, the distinguished hy- 

 menopterist of the British Museum, who, how- 

 ever, could only surmise that "the small black 

 bee possibly is the A. Adausonii of Latreille, 

 which I suppose to be synonymous with A. ni- 

 gritarum of St. .Fayeau — A. uuicolor of La- 

 treille, and which M. Gerstacker considers a va- 

 riety of A. mellifica." I am of course unable to 

 say how far this hypothesis may be correct, but 

 supposing the small black bee of the Cape to be 

 merely a variety of Apis mellifica, it is difficult 

 to imagine how the native species or varieties 

 can exist together in the same locality and yet 

 keep themselves distinct. We know with what 

 facility A. mellifica, A. ligustica, and A. fasci- 

 ata will cross and interbreed with one another, 

 and that this is at least equally the case on the 

 continent of Africa is proved by one of my cor- 

 respondent's letters, wherein, referring to the 

 breeding of Ligurians in connection with Mr. 

 Kohler's process, he says "it is the one thing 

 required here, where bees of at least two or 

 three kinds are common." These speculations 

 can, however, only be set at rest by the arrival 

 in England of the anonymi themselves, which I 

 now hope may be deferred until next spring, 

 although I have been expecting them during 

 the past two months. My last letter from the 

 Cape, dated the 18th of July, says, "Our native 

 bees do not much like the notion of taking a 

 voyage, at least so it seems, as two or three I 

 have been preparing for you have deserted their 

 boxes entirely, leaving brood in all stages, and 

 betaken themselves to their native mountain 

 wilds. I have four or five however, now well 

 established, and hope either by next mail, or 

 perhaps a month hence to be able to pack one or 

 two off in such condition as to reach home alive. 

 So don't be surprised at hearing some African- 

 ders knocking at your door." 



Although no "Africanders" have as yet 

 knocked at my door, it will not now be very 

 long before their own country is again the scene 

 of an Italian iuvasion, for the Royal Mail steam- 

 ship "Saxon," which took her departure from 

 the port of Plymouth early in the morn- 

 ing of the 10th of October, was freighted with 

 two strong bodies of apian Garibaldini in the 

 shape of a couple of Ligurian stocks, which by 

 the kind offices of a local friend were carefully 



stowed on board in capital condition, and 

 which, by the time this article appears, will 

 have landed on that coast "where Alric's sunny 

 fountains roll dowh their golden sand." 



T. W. Woodbuky, 

 ("A Devonshire Beekeeper.") 

 Mount Radfokd, Exeter, Eng., Nov. 3,1868. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Shape and Size of Hives. 



Mb. Editob : — I shall have to enter into the 

 controversy in regard to the shape and size of 

 hives — shallow ones in particular — not so much 

 in their defence as to give my opinion as to their 

 alleged defects, the reasons thereof, and their 

 remedies. 



1st. Their uncertainty for wintering, without 

 burying. 



2d. Their liability to be infested by the moth 

 worm. 



3d. The charge of some that the bees do not 

 build straight combs. 



4th. The trouble of getting out a comb from 

 a full hive. 



First. This depends a good deal on the 

 avarice of beekeepers, who wish to get a large 

 surplus of honey, or profit, from their bees 

 without any corresponding outlay on them. No 

 farmer expects to have fat cattle without feeding 

 plenty of hay and grain; and no beekeeper should 

 expect profit from his bees without providing 

 good warm hives, not simply a nail keg or a 

 soap box; but such a one as is described by Mr. 

 Langstroth in his work, " The Hive and Honey 

 Bee.'''' I refer to the double-story hive, in 

 figures 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, on pages 48, 6S, 

 86, and 96. 



But, instead of glass hives, have the inside 

 boxes made of lumber, and, with the two follow- 

 ing alterations, and you will have a hive that 

 possesses all desirable good qualities. The first is 

 to have a bottom, either loose or stationary, to 

 the base of the lower inside hive, and under 

 that bottom nail strips half an inch thick and one 

 inch broad, so that when placed inside of the 

 outer case of hives, there will be a dead air 

 space between it and the bottom of the outer 

 case. Thus with the two bottoms of outer case 

 and the bottom of inner hive, yoti have three 

 bottom boards, and two dead air spaces between 

 them. Having clone this, you will have to 

 make an alteration at the entrance to corres- 

 pond. Cut the entrance hole 1^ inches higher; 

 then put a piece of 1| inch plank, the width of 

 the entrance, on the bottom of the outer case 

 in front for the bees to alight on, beveling the 

 plank to the front. 



The second alteration is : Instead of nailing 

 the top boards of outside case cover to the sides 

 as per directions, make a frame of strips one 

 inch wide and two inches deep, just large 

 enough to slip over the top of the sides, and 

 nail the top board to the frame, forming a cover 

 after the fashion of that of a pasteboard band- 

 box, and which can be removed so as to pack 

 straw or chaff between the hive and the outer 

 case in winter — which cannot be done if the top 

 is made according to the directions in the 



