THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



713 



Stingless Bees of Cuba. 



Air. A. J. King gives tlie following 

 editorial in the Bee-Keepers'' Magazine, 

 descriptive of these insects and their 

 habits : 



During our stay on the Island of 

 Cuba, we employed much time inves- 

 tigating its lioney-tlora and the quality 

 of honey produced by each variety. 



On one occasion we were examining 

 the flowers of a Royal Palm which, 

 standing at the foot of a rather steep 

 hill and ourself at an elevation, 

 brought the circle of flowers within 

 twenty feet of us, we could, with our 

 powerful lield-glass, bring the bees, 

 so to speak, so near that the charac- 

 teristics of the different kinds were 

 easily discovered. There were wasps, 

 yellow-jackets, bumble-bees and Ital- 

 ians, but what particularly attracted 

 our attention was a little insect, which 

 to our recollection, was exactly like 

 the stingless bees of South America, 

 which we had seen on one or two occa- 

 sions several years ago, and we at 

 once surmised that they were identi- 

 cal. 



After much inquiry we found our 

 surmises correct and that a colony of 

 these delightful insects was in the 

 possession of a native living several 

 miles away in the dense forest, and 

 who was engaged, in a primitive way, 

 m the production of charcoal. 



Mr. Pedro Casanova and myself set 

 out on horseback, and arriving at the 

 cabin of the Cuban, just as the sun 

 was going down, discovered the object 

 of our search. The little beauties 

 were located in the section of a hollow 

 log about six inches in diameter and 

 two feet long which was suspended in 

 a horizontal position on the side-wall 

 of the cabin. 



. A round hole hardly a quarter of an 

 inch 111 diameter in the center of one 

 end of the log formed the only en- 

 trance or exit; the other end was 

 closed with what seemed to be a con- 

 glomeration of pollen, wax, resin and 

 some other moist and sticky material. 

 On looking into the entrance-hole, 

 all we could discover was a little, 

 white, fuzzy head peeking out in a 

 cautious, half-cowardly manner. The 

 last of the foragers were just return- 

 ing, and it was amusing to see how 

 swiftly, yet surely, they would always 

 dart into the little entrance without 

 once missing or having to crawl in, 

 like our ordinary bees. 



In all their movements they are as 

 switt as lightning, and we had great 

 difliculty in catching one, but far more 

 in keeping it. 



The other end of this log-hive con- 

 tained a plug, which was withdrawn 

 and several of the honey-bags having 

 been perforated, a tumbler was soon 

 tilled with a very delicious but rather 

 thin honey. 



This honey is supposed by the 

 natives to possess medicinal proper- 

 ties and IS sold at a high price- some- 

 thing like the " bumble-bee honey " 

 m the city, with the difference that 

 the former is real honev while the 

 latter, so far as the bumble-bee is 

 concerned m its production, is a myth, 

 Wt in either case the medical superi- 



ority over ordinary honey must reside 

 entirely in the faith of the patient. 



We purchased this hive and taking 

 it on our shoulder, remounted and 

 carried it safely to the Casanova 

 apiary. Here, we fltted up a nice 

 bamboo log for a hive and undertook 

 to drive out the pets, but we found 

 that they would not " drum for a 

 cent." We then tried smoke, with no 

 better result. Finally we procured a 

 saw and by being very cautious, suc- 

 ceeded in separating the log from end 

 to end. Then taking out the nest, 

 pollen, honey, bees and all, we fitted 

 it into the bamboo, left it for three 

 weeks until the bees had it all fast- 

 ened in, then brought it to New York ; 

 but forgetting to wrap it up one c'.old 

 night, the little inmates had chilled 

 and died. 



Many have been the speculations of 

 the would-be wise in regard to these 

 bees, nearly all of which are mistaken 

 notions. The idea that there is any 

 danger in handling them bare-faced 

 and bare-handed is untrue. They will 

 not mix with any variety of our true 

 honey-bees, and they are unprofitable 

 except as objects of curiosity. 



A fair-sized colony is composed of 

 one thousand to fifteen hundred bees, 

 occupying a space of perhaps eighteen 

 inches long and four inches in diame- 

 ter. About five inches from the 

 entrance to their log-hive are the 

 brood-combs, suspended from the 

 roof in parallel rows of four combs. 



The combs are nearly round, not as 

 thick as ordinary brood-comb and not 

 more than three inches in diameter. 

 The sacks containing honey and pol- 

 len look very much alike, but do not 

 resemble cells in any sense, being 

 somewhat irregular in shape, an inch 

 long and three-quarters of an inch in 

 diameter, and each holds about two 

 table-spoonfuls of honey. They are 

 of a dark color and lie on top, bottom 

 and sides, packed like so many bags 

 of grain, three-fourths of them being 

 filled with pollen and the balance with 

 honey. 



In shape these bees are much like 

 the bumble-bee, and in color like the 

 yellow-jacket, but are not more than 

 one-fifth as large as a burable-bee, 

 and perhaps its body is longer in pro- 

 portion than that of its " big cousin " 

 The queen is really beautiful and 

 differs in shape from the workers in 

 the same way that ordinary queens 

 differ ; but the bees are much more 

 vigorous and can cling to objects with 

 greater tenacity than any other insect 

 that we have ever seen. 



Convention Notices. 



i^ The Southern Illinois Bee- 

 Keepers' Association will meet at Du- 

 quoin, in the Opera House on Thurs- 

 day, Nov. 1.3, 1884. All are cordially 

 invited. F. H. Kennedy, Sec. 



Wji. Little, Pres. 



W The Central Illinois Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association will hold its next 

 annual meeting in Blooraington, 111., 

 on the second XVednesday in January' 

 188.5, at 9 a. m. 



W. B. Lawrence, Sec. 



Honey and Beeswax Market. 



Ofcice of The American Bee .Iouknal, ) 

 Monday, w a. m., Nov. .O, IS84. J 



The following are the latest quota- 

 tions for honey and beeswax received 

 up to this hour : 



CINCINNATI. 



IIONE Y.-NothlnE stirring in the market for tho 

 last few weeks. Tlie approach of cooler weather 

 18 expected to impart more life to the trade. Comb 

 honeysellsat Itic. in the jobbinE war, and brings 

 HfelSc^on arrival for choice. OfferlnKs exceed the 

 aemand. Extracted honey has commenced to 

 accumulate, but demand is fair for small packaees 

 for table-use, as well as for darker grades in bar- 

 ''"'l^ii.Jk^ir'"''' '''*'"=• "° arrival. 



BBBbWAX-Is dull at legiSo on arrival. 



C. F. MUTH. BVeeman & Central Ave. 



NEW YORK. 

 HONEY— As we have already commenced re- 

 ceiving consignments of this year's crop of honey, 

 we feel safe in making the following quotations • 

 fancy white comb, l-Ib, l8@:;oc., i!-lb, icir^iKc ■ fair 

 ,V-?;?,'^' ' a'ld J-ft, U@16c.; fancy buckwheat! 1- lb, 

 i->s.Wl.jc., u-tt, Il,y(3il2c.; ordinary grades of dark, 

 land J-tt, llia)llC,o. Extracted white choice, in 



Hi.'il.awi'v "■!!'''"'• *^;?3"- buckwheat, 6J^@7o. 

 BEESWA.X-Pnme yellow, 30@3lc. 



McCaul & HiLDRETH, 34 Hudson St. 



CHICAGO. 



HONBY.-Comb honey has been taken with 

 freedom by the trade this week, but L'iwmc. is the 

 best price obtainable for a fancy article of comb 

 honey in frames. Some lots bring from 14 to 15o 

 when in Kood order. Stock of comb honey is not 

 large at present. Extracted, 7(9.sc. for new. 



BtEbtt A.V.— For fair to yellow, 2Sa30c. 



K. A. BURNETT. 161 South Water Bt. 



8AN FRANCISCO. 



HONEY. -Good to choice qualities are selling 

 slowly, mostly in a jobbing way. inferior grades 

 are neglected. The market is weak at the quota- 

 tions. A sale of luocases extracted, mostly choice 

 white, was made at 4^4C. One hundred tons ex- 

 tracted, barrels and cases, aie coing abrard ship 

 tor Liverpool. White to extra white comb, a®luc- 

 dark to gooil. i;g..Kc.; extracted, choice to extra 

 white. 4'-y''(.5e.; dark and candied, 4c. 



BEESWA.X.-Wholesale, l'4®27c. 



Stearns & Smith. 423 Front Street. 



ST. 1,0018. 



HONEY — Steady: demand and supply both 

 small. Comb, lj(a;l4c per lb., and strained and ex- 

 tracted fii^tn^c. 



BEBSW AX-Flrm at 32®32Xo. for choice. 



w.T. Anderson <4 Co.. I04 N. 3a street, 



OLBV BLAND. 



HONEY.— Uoney is in a little better demand at 

 a Ittt'e lower price than our former quotations 

 Whilst the market is still full, we are enabled to 

 place extra lots of strictly white one-lb. secUons at 

 about 1,'ic., with an occasional sale at li;o.; i;^. and 

 2-Ib. sections, be.it white, I4c. ; dark and second 

 quality, rather slow at 12 to 14c. For extracted 

 there is no demand. 



BEESWAX.-28C. 



A. 0. Kendel. 115 Ontario Street. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 

 HONEY— We quote comb honey in 2 lb. sections, 

 13@l4c: extracted, Hl^c. 



Geo, W. Meade & Co., 213 Market. 



KANSAS CITY. 

 HONEY.— The receipts of honey are very large 

 and fine, with a splendid demand, and we are very 

 low in stock of all kinds of comb linney. While the 

 tendency of everything is to lower prices, honey is 

 in active demand, with us, at steady prices. One- 

 half lb. sections, none in the market ; one-pounds 

 Ifi cents i two-pounds, u@i,5 cents ; California 2- 

 Ibs., I4@IB cents. Choice California extracted is 

 selling at 7@ii cents per lb. 

 BBESWAX.-None in the market. 



Ci.kmons, cloo.v & Co. 

 Successors to Jerome Twiohell. 



BOSTON. 

 HONEY.— We quote best white in l-lb. sections, 

 I8i»2(jc.; 2-lb., u;®i»c. Extracted, 8S0c. Un- 

 glassed sections sell best. 

 BBE8WAX-35C. 



BLAKE & RIPLEY, 57 Chatham Street. 



1^ The Iowa Central Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will hold their annual 

 meeting in tlie Court House at Win- 

 terset, Iowa, on Friday, Nov. 7, 1884. 

 All interested in bee-culture are re- 

 quested to be present. 



J. E. Peyok, Sec. 



A. J. Adkison, Pres. 



