OF NOBTHUMBERLAND AND DUEHAM. 169 



III., 1855) a most valuable paper on " The Plants frequented by 

 the Hive Bees," which will be found very interesting to those 

 who "cultivate" Bees. In a valuable paper contributed to the 

 "Annals and Magazine of Natural History," for May, 1865, by 

 Mr. F. Smith, on " The Species and Varieties of the Honey 

 Bees," we find a paragraph which shows how universally our 

 common brown Hive Bee has become distributed by the agency 

 of mankind. He writes : — " Of the unicolorous form of this spe- 

 cies I have seen specimens from nearly all parts of Europe, from 

 most of the West India Islands, from New York, Canada, Flo- 

 rida, Texas, California, and Mexico, from the Cape of Good Hope, 

 Sierra Leone, Australia, and New Zealand ; of the Ligurian form, 

 examples from Italy, Switzerland, and the Cape of Good Hope." 

 Mr. E. Howse observed some Hive Bees in Knaresdale, carrying 

 from the flowers of the garden Comfrey, in which he found from 

 one to three holes bitten in the corolla, immediately over the 

 nectaries. 



2. A. ligustica, Spinola. The Italian Yellow Alp Bee. Apis 

 helvetica, Hermann. 



This pretty variety of the Honey Bee was introduced into the 

 district, about four or five years ago, by George Wailes, Esq., of 

 Burghfield Lodge, Gateshead. The pubescence is much yel- 

 lower than that of the common species, and the first segment of 

 the abdomen is reddish yellow. A very high degree of excellence 

 is claimed for this Bee, as being more robust, more hardy, and 

 more industrious, coming out earlier in spring, and working later 

 in autumn ; also as being more easy to manage, from its better 

 temper, than the brown Bee. I believe, however, that the latter 

 portion of the character scarcely holds good, for Mr. Wailes 

 has found it to be rather waspish in its nature, and to sting 

 on very slight provocation. 



INDEX TO THE GENERA. 



Andrena, 158. Apathus, 168. Bombiia, 164. 



Anthophora, 164. Apis, 168. Cemonus, 151. 



