and Varieties of the Honey-Bee. 271 



believes that our northern Bee, from which he distinguishes the 

 Itahan Bee {A. Ligustica, Spin.), is probably indigenous to the 

 North of Europe. This view is supported by Brun in his article 

 on "Exotic Races of Bees^'*, who regards the North of Africa 

 as the southern limit of the Honey-Bee, and the centre of 

 Europe as the centre of its existence. An opposite opinion was 

 held by Lepelletier de Saint-Fargeauf, who says, " A native 

 probably of Greece, and perhaps also of Anatolia, it has been 

 transported over the whole of Europe, Northern Africa, &c." 

 Kaden J thinks " that the native country of our Honey-Bees is 

 to be sought under the hot zones, and that they have been in- 

 troduced into Europe \vith some trouble ;'' and the latest writer 

 on Bees, Von Berlepsch, regards this opinion as firmly esta- 

 blished, saying §, " Our Bee is demonstrably indigenous in the 

 hot southern countries of the Old "VYorld, where an almost per- 

 petually serene sky enables it to bustle about in balmy airs 

 through the whole year, with very little interruption. But at a 

 very early period human civilization carried it into northern 

 localities ; and here, in consequence of the roughness and cold- 

 ness of the climate, it is often compelled to remain for from 

 three to six months in its dwelling, — contrary to its nature ; for 

 that so long a period of confinement is contrary to the mode of 

 life originally impressed upon the Bee, opposed to its innate 

 nature, is at once shown by the fact that it has no winter-sleep, 

 like other allied insects indigenous to this country." 



The grounds of these various opinions are easily discovered. 

 Latreille, regarding the different races of Bees as distinct spe- 

 cies, was evidently of opinion that each of these supposed spe- 

 cies was indigenous in the country where it occurred; and 

 Brun, following Latreille in considering the African Bees {Apis 

 fasdata, Latr., from Egypt, Apis Adansonii, Latr., from Senegal, 

 &c.) as distinct from Apis mellifica, Linn., erroneously placed 

 the southern limit of the latter on the north coast of Africa. 

 Lepelletier's opinion is evidently derived from the direction of 

 European civilization ; Kaden abstains from all evidence in sup- 

 port of his similar view ; whilst Von Berlepsch endeavours to 

 maintain it only by analogies which will not bear examination. 

 Because the Wasps and Hornets, of which only females survive 

 the winter, pass this season in a torpid state, there is no reason 

 that Bees should do the same. The Bee must pass the winter 

 in society, because the continuance of its existence depends upon 

 this J hence it is impelled to lay up a supply of food against this 



* Bienenzeitung, 1858, p. 37. 



t Hist. Nat. des HymenoptSres, i. p. 401 . 



X Bienenzeitung, 1857, p. 214. 



§ Die Bienea und die Bieneazucbt : Miihlhausen, 1860, p. 461. 



