702 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Kov. 



The experiment has never been tried, to my knowl- 

 edire. A swarm of these bees took up its lodginjrs 

 under the desk In the office of an agent of a timber 

 company here, and remained there for a long time, 

 troubling no one. though in the same room with 

 numbers of people. 



The second kind of bees is similar to the above, 

 though perhaps a little smaller. This variety builds 

 its nest under or in rocks. The swnrms are ui^ually 

 much larger than No. 1, and resemble those at home 

 more in size of the swarms, and kind of honey pro- 

 duced. The honey is very fine flavored, and abun- 

 dant. This variety is, however, much less numerous 

 than No. 1. 



No. 3, perhaps, ranks first in importance in the 

 province. It is a large bee, about one-half inch in 

 length, rather small around, in proportion to its 

 length, long-waisted, and bright red and yellow. He 

 is a g<»y fellow, with a fierce sting. FTe attanhes his 

 nests to the under side of great limbs of the dammer- 

 oil tree, and on ro other kind that I am aware of. 

 There are often from fifteen to twenty nests on a 

 single tree. As the bees oceupy these trees from 

 year to year, the trees become valuable property, 

 and their owners collect only a portion of the honey 

 each year, as. if some nests are left, they will return 

 again to their old home after the rains. During 

 the rains they "go west," probably to some dry 

 country, or of less rain. These nests are very large, 

 from two to four feet in length, and one to two feet 

 in depth. The natives climb these grand old trees 

 In the night time, smoke off the bees, and cut off the 

 comb Into a basket, and let it down to the ground 

 with creepers or vines — a perilous operation. The 

 honey is rather rank, but is much sought after. The 

 wax has a ready sale. 



No. 4 is larger than No. 3, with a similar-shaped 

 b«dy. The back is, however, dark browTi,and the 

 belly and th'^rax jet black. The honey of this bee is 

 much better flavored than that of the above; and 

 one nest of this bee Is found in a place, which is 

 usually some giant creeper in a dense thicket of 

 trefs. The comb is often from two to five fpct 

 In length, and from two to three feet in depth. 

 This bee is very fierce, and woe to the native who 

 dares to attack him without due caution. I saw a 

 native on one occasion assay to rifle one of these 

 swarms, about fifty feet from the ground. The vine 

 to which it was attached was large, and twining In 

 and out from tree to tree. The bees took the initia- 

 tive in the battle, and the native was soon making the 

 best of his way down the vine to safer quarters. 

 But the bees were too much for him, and he drop- 

 ped some twenty feet to the soft earth; yet the bees 

 kept his trail and set on him at the foot of the tree. 

 He was nearly naked, and they had a fair chance at 

 him. The poor fellow shot out from under that tree 

 with a good deal of agility, and took to a stream of 

 water near by; and only by running and ducljing 

 under the water, and splashing it about, did he 

 finally escape. 



No. 5 Is similar to the above, though not found in 

 such large colonies. Its prevailing color is reddiah, 

 and some parts are light red; sting very badly. The 

 peculiarity of this beejs, that it always pl*)ces its 

 nest BO as to receive the rays of the rising or settinsr 

 sun. It also builds on large vines. The honey is 

 excellent, and much sought for. Nos. 3 and 4 build 

 only one nest In a place, and do not seek the same 

 place from year to year, as do the second Kind de- 

 Bcribed. 



No. 6 is a small bee, which selects a small limb on 

 the orange-tree, or the pendulous end of the bam- 

 boo, for its home. The swarms are small, and the 

 comb is seldom more than one or two quarts. The 

 comb is irregularly shaped, and a part is placed 

 above the limb to which it is attached, and so shnp- 

 ed as to form a water-shed to the brood below. The 

 comb is very white, and the honey sweet and deli- 

 cately flavored. The bees are not much larger than 

 rice kernels, and their sting causes very little irrita- 

 tion. They seem to rely on the position of their 

 nests for protection. There are other kinds of this 

 species of tiny bee, each liaving its peculiar wavs, 

 but of little importance, save as a delightful study 

 to those Interested in them. They are found in 

 small colonies only. 



The last kind. No. 7. 1 will mention, seems to be a 

 distinct species of bee from all others. This kind is 

 found in large colonies, and In some parts of the 

 province is very numerous. The bee Is about the 

 size of the last variety mentioned, dark colored, 

 with white-tipped wings, and has no sting. The wax 

 is very valuable, and forms a considerable article of 

 trade. It Is used for stopping leaks In boats, and 

 similar purposes. The honey is acid, and not used. 

 This bee builds covered ways to Ks nest, and one 

 often meets these tiny covered ways projecting 

 from a few Inches to a foot from the tree in which 

 the nest is. The tree most often occupied Is the 

 banyan, with Its many openings in the trunk and 

 roots. This little fellow, though he can not sting. Is 

 not a favorite; for attracted, I suppose by the per- 

 spiration of the body, he seeks an entrance into the 

 eyes, mouth, and nose, or crawls over the hands and 

 person most persistently, though lots of his fellows 

 die in the attempt, and the tickling sensation is 

 verv annoying. 



The bee of the hollow tree Is "ur favorite, perhaps 

 because he reminds us of the dear old home. In any 

 case, honey here seldom tastes like that we used to 

 bring away in tubs and pails from Some grand old 

 forest-tree in New England, when the goldenrod In 

 bloom told U1 boys that fall was upon us. 



January, February, March, and April, are the 

 honey months in this land, as the many forest-trees 

 are a mass of flowers, sweet scented, till the air Is 

 heavy with sweet odors, which are almost over- 

 powering. Then the bees are most lively, and are 

 the one thing that show enterprise and activity In 

 this heathen land. A. Bunker. 



Toungoo. British Burma, Oct. 26, 1883. 



Many thanks, friend B., for the vahiable 

 report yon give us. I was inclined to think 

 that No. S was Ar)l'< dnrmta; bnt perhaps 

 No. 4 is the one. The friends will remem- 

 ber that the wide long combs are what at- 

 tracted the attention of Frank Benton. The 

 story ariven in onr last number in regard to 

 Avif^ dnraata makes this account all the more 

 interesting. It seems as though this article 

 might almost give D. A. Jones the fever to 

 go on another exploring voyage : for as vou 

 state it. friend B., there would b«> very liltle 

 diffif nltv in getting bees of any of these races 

 to bring home. Is there not some enterpris- 

 ing bee-keeper among us who would like to 

 test thesf n*^w races of bees in domestica- 

 tion V Our friends will observe, that the let- 

 ter was written quite a while ago ; bnt it was 

 a long time on the way, and then it got mis- 

 laid. Another strange point friend B. 

 brings out that I have never heard mention- 



