56 A Modern Bee-Farin 
native bees have not to some extent, more or less remote, 
received some benefit by the infusion of fresh blood. 
Indeed, it is amusing tc hear some apiarists assert that 
Italians are inferior to the old-fashioned sort, and that 
they will have no more of them; when, as a matter of 
fact, their original stock has been greatly improved by the 
introduction of the foreigners, short though their existence 
may have been; and, moreover, the probability is great 
that year after year such short-sighted men are indebted 
to some distant bee-keeper for the continued excellence of 
their blacks (?); as the new blood is carried from one apiary 
to another, through successive stages during succeeding. 
seasons ; each cross showing less of colour, until in the 
end there is scarcely any evidence to show that the dark 
bees of the neighbourhood have foreign blood in their 
constitution. 
The advantages claimed for Ligurians are as follows: 
They are more prolific, and consequently gather more 
honey than blacks, more especially as they can work upon 
some flowers not accessible to the others, and continue to 
gather until Autumn is well advanced. Strange to say, 
natives often do best early in the season, but in Autumn. 
I have known Italians draw out foundation rapidly and 
store heavily, while at the same time the former would not 
attempt to work upon a sheet of foundation placed in the 
centre of the brood nest., The Italians are more gentle, 
and together with their beautiful markings, this has done 
much to make them popular. 
I do not by any means recommend Italians generally ; 
and during a period of some 40 years that I have imported 
them I have only found one or two strains of really high- 
class honey gatherers. These can be still further improved 
by a process of careful selection. 
As with all yellow races, Ligurian workers have three 
