Varieties of the Honey- Bee. 375 



Dr. Gerstacker's history of the geographical distribution of the 

 Apis mellifica is extremely interesting ; but, in my opinion, he 

 has included, as I before stated, a distinct species, the Apis 

 Adansonii. I can add somewhat to the range of the European 

 Bee, as our author says " it does not appear to exist in Austra- 

 lia;" it is, however, I am informed, extremely abundant in that 

 country, both in a domestic and also in a wild state ; it has, of 

 course, been introduced. It is found in the same way in New 

 Zealand. In the British Museum are examples of Apis Adan- 

 sonii from Australia. The Northern Honey-Bee abounds, in a 

 wild state, in Texas and California ; indeed Mr. Lord, who was 

 resident in the former country for a considerable period, told 

 me that it would be very difficult, perhaps impossible, to find a 

 hollow tree untenanted by Apis mellifica. 



Dr. Gerstacker divides the genus Apis into two groups, each 

 being characterized by different structural peculiarities. After 

 an extensive examination of species, I find two of the characters 

 made use of inconstant, as applied to these divisions, but very 

 useful in the determination of species. I have omitted them in 

 the characteristics of the groups, and will point out the use 

 made of them in dividing the species. The first character con- 

 sists of the number of transverse rows of short hairs or bristles 

 which line the inside of the metatarsus of the posterior legs. In 

 the division of the Honey-Bees into two groups, those of the first 

 are said to have " thirteen rows of bristles on the inner side of 

 the metatarsus." I make the number of rows to be fourteen. I 

 place two species in this division, and both are so characterized. 

 In the second division, however, the character laid down, as in 

 part distinguishing them (the "metatarsus of the hind legs with 

 nine transverse rows of bristles on the inside "), cannot be re- 

 tained. In order to ascertain correc<^^ly whether the species 

 varied in this particular, I broke off the metatarsal joint from a 

 large number of my specimens, and, having removed the bristles, 

 I was enabled to ascertain with facility the exact number of 

 rows in all the species. The figures given in illustration of this 

 paper show the number in each : in counting the rows, that at 

 the apical margin is, in all instances, included. I presume, such 

 was not the case in drawing up the characters in Dr. Gerstacker's 

 paper, otherwise the first division would have fourteen rows. 



The result of my examination of the different species of the 

 genus Apis shows that Apis dorsata and A, zonata have each 

 fourteen rows of bristles on the metatarsal joint ; A. mellifica, 

 A. florea, and A. indica have each ten rows; A. Adansonii 

 has nine, and A, nigro-cincta eleven rows — a most satisfactory 

 result, since it confirms me in my opinion, founded upon other 

 characters, of the genus Apis consisting of more than four 



