THE ITALIAN BEE. 323 



and also more frequently. Captain Baldenstein's want of success 

 was most probably the result of a deficiency of drone-comb* in his 

 Italian hives, as a consequence of which, only few drones were 

 produced.' 



' The main thing to be attended to in any localities where 

 common bees are found or kept, is to secure the production of 

 drones in numbers overwhelmingly large ; though Dzierzon is 

 under the impression, that where both kinds of drones exist in 

 about equal numbers, the Italian queens will usually encounter 

 Italian drones, both queens and drones being more active and 

 agile than the common kind. Besides, the wings of both queens 

 and drones are finer and more delicate than those of the common 

 kind, and the sounds produced in flying are clearer and higher- 

 toned. Hence, probably, they are readily able to distinguish each 

 other when on the wing.f 



" The Baron of Berlepsch, one of the most enthusiastic and 

 skillful Apiarians, on a large scale, in Germany, says he can. from 

 his own experience confirm the statements of Dzierzon, in relation 

 to the Italian bee, having found, 



* * Dzierzon guarded against this, by giving to a very large colony, which ordi- 

 narily produced drones in great numbers, a fertile queen very early in the season. 

 Thousands of drones soon made their appearance, and he immediately formed an 

 artificial colony by removing this queen, -with a sufficient number of workers, 

 adding worker-brood from other colonies. On the twelfth day following, he heard 

 a young queen ' teeting ' in the parent hive and, to his surprise, a large swarm 

 issued from it on the same day, though the weather was then cool and cloudy. This 

 swarm came forth suddenly, without any previous indication of its intention, just 

 as after-swarms usually do. On a similar day, Dzierzon says, he had never seen a 

 first swarm of common bees leave. So cold was the weather, that some of the bees 

 became chilled before the swarm was hived. As the swarm was unusually large, 

 he divided it into two, as he was able to procure an additional queen from the 

 parent hive. Both throve well, and each of the queens was impregnated by an 

 Italian drone. From this occurrence, he judged that these bees have an instinctive 

 proclivity to swarm early. Our common kind would have lingered long, rather 

 than ' swarm in weather so cold and cloudy.' " S. W AGREE. 



t " If, at the time when young queens are emerging, the bees and drones be 

 tempted to sally out earlier than usual in the day, hours before the common drones 

 come forth, by feeding them with diluted honey, the perpetuation of the genuine 

 breed will the more probably be secured. But this end will the most certainly be 

 attained, if measures are taken to have Italian queens and drones bred early in the 

 season, before the common drones make their appearance ; and again late, after the 

 latter have been ' killed off.' This may readily be done by the improved hive, and 

 the application of certain known principles in bee-culture." 3. WAGXKB. 



