1886.] and the Introduction of the Italian Bee. 87 



badly ravaged. Persons who have kept the bee complain of losing even 

 the heaviest stocks from moth. It permits other insects to share its 

 quarters, and does not keep its hive so clean as A. ligustica : the difference 

 is very striking. The ravages of moth are worst during the rains, when 

 the bees decrease in number. This bee swarms in the hot season and just 

 before the rains, it works during the rains and the cold season, but is 

 apparently less active in the cold weather than A. florea. A stock in a 

 frame- hive prepared to swarm in the cold season, having been fed and 

 otherwise protected. Near the hills this bee often migrates at certain 

 seasons. The largest yield of honey reported from one hive is 30Ibs. 



Description of Nest. — In one nest examined the measurements 

 were : — thickness of comb minimum '59'', max. '79", distance between 

 faces of combs •27" to •39", distance of combs from centre to centre "98" 

 to 1"18" (•98 appeared normal). A barrel-shaped hive from the Punjab 

 was 18 inches deep and 11 inches in diameter, content about 1600 cubic 

 inches ; it contained 14 combs, a large quantity of drone-brood, and a 

 large number of drones; the covered worker brood-comb was '79" to 

 •95" thick, the drone brood-comb was "98" thick, the store brood-combs 

 reached 1^18" in thickness, the distance between the brood-combs was 

 315", and the distance from centre to centre of store-comb was min. 

 1*3"', max. 1'772''' on outside combs; the normal distance between 

 combs is less than ^" and the thickness of the combs somewhat over J" ; 

 the worker- cells are 6 to the linear inch, and the drone-cells 5 ; actual 

 measurements of worker-cells 3 cells = ^513" = 5*85 per inch; 3 cells = 

 •494" = 6^125 per inch, average 5*95. The measurements were made 

 with a vernier. 



The Bhootea Bee. — All bees, including queen, very dark, almost or 

 quite black, with light hair ; coijib — worker SJ and drone 4| cells per 

 linear inch, drone-comb a fall inch thick. Exceedingly mild in temper, 

 in fact, cowardly ; the sentinels commonly running in when those of A. 

 mellifica would rush out and attack. Stocks apparently heavier than 

 those of A. indica. Kept in Bhootan by Capt. R. Fulton and in Calcutta 

 by myself. One hive swarmed naturally in Calcutta. Given A. mellifica 

 worker-comb used it as drone-comb, bred large number of drones ; 

 yielded no surplus honey, 6 lbs only being found in hive at end of season. 

 Very liable to moth. 



The behaviour of both the above towards moth is quite different 

 from that of A. ligustica. They do indeed attack the moth and tear down 

 their combs ; but if a larva of wax-moth be dropped into a hive of A. 

 ligustica, the bees become excited, and at once sting the larva and carry 

 it out. The Indian bees, on the contrary, do not notice the larva, the 

 Bhootea bee particularly, and I have dropped larvae between the combs 

 without causing any commotion or exciting the bees to sting the larva. 



