12 PRACTICAL QUEEN REARING 



of remaining quietly on the comb attending to business, they 

 run with the workers and often hide. They do not gather 

 as much surplus on the average as Italians, under American 

 conditions, are more inclined to be cross, and are more suscep- 

 tible to brood diseases. It is a difficult matter to save an apiary 

 of black bees, once they become infected with European foul- 

 brood. In comparison with Italians, the latter have proven 

 so much better that there is a very general tendency to replace 

 the blacks with Italians and in many limited neighborhoods 

 where beekeeping is scientifically followed, the blacks have 

 disappeared. 



The Cyprian Bee. 



The Cyprian bees are in many respects similar to Italians. 

 The pure Cyprians are said to be yellow on the sides and under 

 parts of the abdomen, as well as having the three yellow bands 

 as do the Italians, but the tip is very black. They are some- 

 what smaller than the Italians, and somewhat more slender 

 and wasplike in appearance. According to Alley, "The pos- 

 terior rings of the bodies of the workers are broader than those 

 of the Italian, and, when examined, it will be noticed that 

 the upper portion is partially black, terminating on the sides 

 in a perfect half moon, generally two. It will also be observed 

 that there is no intermingling of color. With pure Cyprian 

 bees this is an invariable and uniform marking." They also 

 have a golden shield between the wings. 



The queens are extremely prolific, but the workers are very 

 cross and not easily subdued by smoke. After extended trial 

 in America, they have found few friends because of this char- 

 acteristic. The American beekeeper demands gentle bees. 

 Aside from the revengeful disposition, they have many good 

 qualities. They are said to be long lived, to build less drone 

 comb than other races, to fly farther for stores and to be extreme- 

 ly hardy, wintering well. They continue breeding late in fall, 

 and are not inclined to dwindle in spring. They build many 

 queen cells in preparation for swarming, sometimes as many 



