1886.} and the IntroducHon of tTie Italian Bee. 89 



the worker as is that of other species, but is of the same size and shape 

 as the worker, excepting that it has the eyes meeting, as in the drone ol 

 A^ melUfica, 



Apis florea or floralis, the latter being a literary ccH^rection only. 

 This is the smallest known species of the genus, and its drone is rela- 

 tively to the worker the largest and most differentiated from- the female 

 and worker.. It inhabits the- plains or not above 3000 feet of altitude,, 

 its worker- comb is very regular^ the drone-cells have much thicker walls 

 and are cylindrical. Drone-cells 6, worker-cells 9 to the linear inch.. 

 Actual measurements of a comb from South Coimbatore gave 5' 725 drone 

 and 8*925 worker-cells per inch. When this bee builds on a thin branch,, 

 its comb is very small, about the size of a man's hand, and single ; but 

 built in a building the comb may attain to several square feet in 

 area and be partially duplicated. This bee is very mild in disposition^ 

 and its sting is not so severe as that of A. indica. It may be mentioned 

 that bees generally appear readily to become familiarized with man's 

 presence,, the bees of a hive frequently opened and bees building near 

 roads and paths and in houses appear to become less irritable and 

 impatient of interference than those which inhabit secluded places, 

 but bees that are starving, diseased, robbing, or being robbed are liable 

 to become irritable. This species appears very constant in size and 

 colouring. 



This bee is described and figured by Latreille as " A, indica, Fab.,'*" 

 and A. indica, as A. socialis ; the descriptions are very imperfect and 

 the figures inaccarate ; full descriptions will be given hereafter. 



The Bushahr Bee. — This is a variety of Apis mellifica. The specir 

 mens I have are dark with black scutellum, excepting in one specimen, in 

 which that part has a dark red mark on it. The comb corresponds 

 exactly with that of A. mellifica. This bee is found in the Bushahr 

 district of the Punjab and probably elsewhere along the northern 

 frontier ; it is said to be readily manipulated, a^ trait not common amongst 

 the varieties with a light scutellum. It is no doubt productive, as the 

 natives of Bushahr build stone houses 25 feet high for its reception and 

 follow the care of bees as a special industry. This bee would prove of 

 considerable economic value if acclimatized in other parts of India. 

 The few drones I have are smaller than those of A. ligustica. Its power 

 of resisting moth are unknown. 



Hazara Variety. — This appears to be a variety of A. mellifica. 

 Specimens of workers anly are known to me, and they are perceptibly 

 smaller than A. ligustica and than the Bushahr variety. It has a yellow 

 scutellum and is striped yellow shaded off at the sides, as in the Egyptian 

 bee (A. fasciata). This variety would no doubt ' prove productive in the 

 plains, but would probably resemble the Egyptian bee in its qualities. 

 12 



