210 HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



with a portion of the workers, leaves the hive, generally 

 before a young queen has emerged. This swarm generally, 

 clusters on the branch of some near tree, and is there caught 

 by the bee-keeper. If he fails to be on hand, the swarm 

 will find a new home in a hollow tree or in a rock crevice. 



There are several varieties of honeybees. The common 

 wild honeybee is the German, Black, or Brown Bee. Other 

 varieties kept in this country are the Italians, the Cyprians, 

 from the island of Cyprus, and the Carniolans, from the 

 Austrian province of Carniola. Each variety has its peculiar 

 faults and merits. 



Conclusion. We have now learned but very little about 

 the life of the honeybee. Any one who desires to become 

 a practical bee-keeper is referred to Benton, " The Honey- 

 bee," United States Department of Agriculture. About the 

 life of wasps and bumblebees, see Comstock's " Manual for 

 the Study of Insects " ; but do not forget that the best way 

 to learn about nature is to go to nature's own school. 



A Few Injurious Field Insects 



The honeybee is a beneficial insect, not -only on account 

 of the honey it produces, but also because it fertilizes many 

 flowers, and thereby increases the yield of fruit trees and 

 of many other cultivated plants. Should the two butter- 

 flies we have just studied be classified with the beneficial, 

 the injurious, or with those that are neither beneficial nor 

 injurious ? 



Butterflies and bees are typical insects. Their body con- 

 sists of three well-marked divisions, the head, the thorax, 

 and the abdomen. Many insects have wings, which are 

 always attached to the thorax. 



In the insects which we are now going to study the 

 three divisions of the body are present, but are not so well 

 marked as in bees and butterflies. Are they well marked 



