was extremely incommoded by swarms of this insect, which visited the cabin of 

 his vessel every day. u These bees," says he, u differ from those of Europe on- 

 ly iu size. There is this singularity in their honey, that it never acquires a con- 

 sistency like ours, but is always liquid, and like a brown syrup. ^Ye may affirm 

 it is infinitely superior, both in delicacy and taste, to the best honey collected in 

 the southern parts of France." Adansorfs Voyage to Senegal. 



Bancroft says, " the bees of Guiana are but little larger than the common 

 house fly in England j their colour is black, and they are armed with stings ; they 

 deposite their honey in the cavities of hollow trees in the woods. This honey 

 has a dark brown colour, a sweet but less agreeable taste than the european, 

 and leaves a small bitter behind. It is found in large quantities., and is almost 

 us fluid as olive oil ; the colour of the wax is a dirty brownish black, and its sub- 

 stance somewhat softer than the yellow wax of Europe, having a sweet fragrant 

 smell." Essay on the Natural History of Guiana, SfC. 



If the' common .bee did not exist in this country, without importation from Eu- 

 rope, then there was no creature in North America which produced honey, ex- 

 cept in Mexico. It is not reasonable to suppose, that an animal, which is, in 

 different species and varieties, so widely diffused over the rest of the world, 

 should be denied to so extensive a portion of the globe, so well calculated for its 

 sustenance. 



It appears, that the opinion, that the honey bee was imported into this part of 

 America from Europe, originated with Josselyn, who resided eight years in the 

 Province of Maine, and wrote in 1072. Dr. Belknap says, that he i&s the only 

 writer who mentions them, and this was his opinion, with which tradition con-, 

 curs." Kalm, who travelled through this part of the country in 1748, seems to 

 have adopted Josselyn's idea. *' The people were unanimous," says he, " that 

 the common bees were not iu North America before the arrival of the europeans, 

 but that they were first brought over by the english who settled here. The Indians 

 likewise generally declare, that their fathers had never seen any bees either in 

 the woods, or anywhere else, before the europeans had been several years set 

 tied here. This is further confirmed by the name which the Indians give them 

 for having no particular name for them in their language, they call them english 

 flies, because the english first brought them over ; but at present they fly plen- 

 tifully about the woods of North America. However, it has been observed, that 

 the bees always, when they swarm, spread to the southward, and never to the 

 northward. It seems as if they do not find the latter countries so good for their 

 constitution ; therefore, they cannot stay in Canada, and all that have been car- 

 ried over thither died in winter. It seemed to me as if the bees in America 

 were somewhat smaller thao ours in Sweden. They have not yet been found in 

 the woods on the other side of the Blue Mountains, which confirms the opinion 



