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THE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL AFD GAZETTE. 



THE AMEEIOAN EEE JOUENAL 

 ANU> OAZETTE. 



WASHINGTON, APRIL, 1867. 



(L^"The American Bee Journal and Ga- 

 zette is now published monthly, in the City of 

 Washington, (D. C.,) iit |>2 per annum. All 

 communications should be addressed to the Edi- 

 tor, at that place. 



C^" Several communications intended for 

 this number have unavoidably to be postponed 

 till our next. 



We have received from ?Jr. PIcnry Ally, of 

 Wcnliam, (Mass.,) a fumisaling pipe, accom- 

 companied by a note, in which he says : You 

 will find it very useful for any purpose about 

 the apiary. It can be held betAveen the teeth, 

 while the hands are at work. To examine bees 

 which arc in a Lnngstrothhive, gradually raise 

 the honey-board, blowing smoke in at the same 

 time, to drive the bees down among the combs. 

 If they attempt to sting Avhile removing combs, 

 give them more smoke. 



"Persons who do not use tobacco can use this 

 pipe, without any fear of being made sick. Per- 

 haps some will not believe that I can introduce 

 queens with the use of tobacco-smoke. I would 

 wager the price of fifty queens tliat I will intro- 

 duce that number v.'ith tobacco-smoke, and not 

 have one of them Iviiled." 



The instrument resembles the fumigator de- 

 scribed in Mr. Quinby's "-Mysteries of Bee- 

 keeping,'''' only that it has a wooden mouth- 

 piece so shaped that it can be held between the 

 teeth, leaving the hands entirely free. 



Egyptian Sees. 



We are enabled to present in this number a 

 notice of a second importation of Egyptians 

 in Germany. 



In a recent communication to the Bienen- 

 zeitung, Mr. Vogel remarks: "I formerly 

 stated that the Egyptian bees Avould sting o\i\y 

 when provoked to do so. I am of that opinion 

 still, though to prevent misapprehension, I now 

 add that, when thus provoked, they are exceed- 

 ingly vindictive. 



" When first handling the imported bees, I 

 used no smoke, and was neither stung nor in 

 any way incommoded, and hence felt warranted 

 in saying that they do not 9ting. But about 

 four weeks later, I used tobocco-smoke to diive 



them from a brood-comb whicli I wished to re- 

 move, and instantly received eleven stings in 

 my face, and five on my hands. Next day I 

 purposely used tobacco-smoke again, and, not 

 having on my bee-cap, was compelled to re- 

 treat in haste. Subsequent observations and 

 experiments shovred that tobacco-smoke is as 

 sure to irritate the Egyptian bees as the human 

 breath does our common bees or the Italians; 

 and when once thus excited, they remain ill- 

 tempered for a long time. Even after thej^ have 

 recovered their equanimitj-, a few whifl"s of 

 tobacco-smoke suflice to revive their anger. 

 The violence with which they assail theotfender 

 may readily be imagined from the extraordin- 

 ary spirit and agility of these little creatures. 



"For keeping them in due subjection, I now 

 make use of rotten willow-wood, which con- 

 fuses and intimidates them, without arousing 

 their anger. They will, indeed, still iiy in the 

 face and on the hands of the operator, and run 

 about wildly, but leave again without stinging. 

 It is now apparent why the Egyptian bee- 

 keeper, from whom Mr. Hammerschmidt pro- 

 cured the origiual stock, though an inveterate 

 smoker, did not use tobacco-smoke when oper- 

 ating among his bees." 



Jt^" There has been recently published in 

 Italy a treatise on bees and bee-culture, pre- 

 pared by Anthony Caneva, which should cer- 

 tainly be translated for the special benefit and 

 comfort of those bee-keepers who resolutely 

 adhere to antiquated notions and practices iu 

 the management of their bees. As a specimen 

 of his peculiar qualification to act as instructor, 

 take the following : 



"We may not doubt that the quuen lays eggs, 

 if we can credit those Avho say that they liave 

 found ovaries and eggs in her. I confess that I 

 have not made such discoveries, not even in the 

 favorable months of May and June, and there- 

 fore suspect that those writers labored under 

 some misconception. If the queen lays eggs, 

 we should be able to find these in the cells in 

 which they were laid. Yet I have never found 

 any in the cells, but always larvae instead, and 

 very young larva3, too, sucli as must have been 

 quite recently ^introduced. Moreover, we 

 never find any cgg-sheUs on the bottom of the 

 hive, wliere tliey certainly should be found, 

 especially after several days of cold weather 

 has prevented the bees from carrying them 

 out. 



" Tiie duties and functions of the queen are 

 those of a ruler — to hold the reins of govern- 

 ment. She diligently supervises everything — 



