I02 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



evident that it is doubtful if the scale will inflict much injury, in 

 spite of its being so generally present. 



Miscellaneous 



Caucasian bee. The United States Bureau of Entomology has 

 given considerable attention to the honeybee and its products, mak- 

 ing a special effort to obtain more desirable strains. Through its 

 efforts the Caucasian bee has become established in this country, 

 and in November 1904 the Entomologist made application for a 

 queen for the purpose of making comparative tests. This queen 

 together with a number of workers was received in excellent con- 

 dition June 10, 1905 and put in the custody of Mr Robert Wilke 

 of 210 Livingston av. Albany, N. Y. with instructions to make a 

 careful comparison between this bee and the more common form. 

 The following statements were drafted from a report submitted by 

 him after the close of the active season. 



He states that the bees, which were a peculiar brownish black 

 color, were immediately given two frames of hatching hybrids in 

 an eight frame Langstroth hive. The entrance was then closed 

 with wire netting to keep out robber bees. June 12 he gave more 

 capped brood and honey, and on examining on the 19th he found 

 a fair number of bees, the queen having laid between six and ten 

 thousand eggs. He gave the bees their first flight at this time and 

 observed that they were active on pollen. June 24 the colony was 

 picking up strength and there were a fair number of field bees. 

 July II young brood was emerging, the bees were active and there 

 was plenty of brace comb. He added two frames to the six, mak- 

 ing eight in all and observed that there was plenty of honey. All 

 the brace comb was cut out on the i8th when the bees were begin- 

 ning to work on the super. They then had brood in eight frames. 

 August 8 preparations to swarm were in progress. The super was 

 taken off, the swarm cast and it was then put back. The next day 

 the bees swarmed again and returned, the hive was again examined 

 and a number of long, slender queen cells removed. These latter 

 presented a marked difference in construction from those of any 

 other that has come under his observation, since they were often 

 2 inches in length and quite slender and little wax was used in 

 covering the walls. The bees also exhibited a marked tendency 

 to build these cells on the bottom of the comb. August 31 the 

 bees swarmed and returned. They were gentk t*ut slow on the 

 super. October 15 the bees had not finished a super of 24 pounds. 



