77 



common to that and this country. The honey bee is 

 not a native of our continent. Marcgrave indeed men- 

 tions a species of honey-bee in Brasil. But this has no 

 sting, and is therefore different from the one we have, 

 which resembles perfectly that of Euro{)e. The In- 

 dians concur with us in the tradition that it was brought 

 from Europe ; but when, and by whom, we know not. 

 The bees have generally extended themselves into the 

 country, a little in advance of the white settlers. Tlje 

 Indians therefore call them the white man's fly, and 

 consider their approach as indicating the approach of 

 the settlements of the whites. A question here occurs, 

 How far northwardly have these insects been found ? 

 That they are unknown in Lapland, 1 infer from iSchef- 

 fer's information, that the Laplanders eat the pine bark, 

 prepared in a certain way, instead of those things 

 sweetened with sugar. " Hoc comedunt pro rebus sac- 

 charo conditis." Scheflf. Lapp. c. 18. Certainly if they 

 had honey, it would be a better substitute for sugar 

 than any preparation of the i)ine bark. Kalm tells 

 us* the honey-bee cannot live through the winter in 

 Canada. They furnish then an additional proof of the 

 remarkable fact first observed by the Count de Buffon, 

 and which has thrown such blaze of light on tlie field 

 of natural history, that no animals are found in both 

 continents, but those which are able to bear the cold of 

 those regions where they probably join. 



aUEllY VIL 



A NOTICE of all that can increase the progress of hu- 

 man knowledge ? 



Under the latitude of this query, I will presume it not 

 improper nor unacceptable to furnish some data for es- 

 timating the climate of Virginia. Journals of observa- 

 tions on the quantity of rain, and degree of heat, being 



♦ 126. 



7* 



