4 Cyprian and Syrian Bees. 
i 
TINE SYRIAN AND CYPRIAN RACES. 
Through the enterprise of Messrs. D. A. Jones and 
Frank Benton, we now have these races in our country, . 
‘and have proved the truth of the assertion of noted Euro- 
pean apiarists, that the Cyprian is a distinct race of bees. 
Mr. Benton, than whom no one is better fitted to express 
a correct opinion, thinks that the Cyprian bees are the off- 
spring of the Syrian. This opinion is strengthened by the 
close resemblance of the three races, and by the fact that 
migrations of all kinds have gone westward, A similar 
argument would make it presumable that the Cyprians 
gave rise to the Italians. a 
The Cyprian bees resemble the Italians very closely. 
They may be distinguished by the bright leather-colored 
lunule which tips their thorax posteriorly, and by the fact 
that the under side of their bodiesis yellow to the tip. They 
are more active than are the Italians, and the queens are 
more prolific. : 
The good qualities of the Italians seem all to be exag- 
gerated in the Cyprians, except the trait of amiability. - 
The Cyprian bees are second only to the Egyptian in irri- 
tability. That they will become less cross with handling 
is to be expected. + 
The Syrian bees are from Asiatic Turkey, north of 
Mount Carmel, and are a very well marked race. The 
Syrian queens are remarkably uniform. Their abdomens 
above are, like the little A. Indica, beautifully banded with 
yellow and black. They are very quick and remarkably 
prolific. They do not cease laying even when the honey 
flow ceases. The workers closely resemble those of the 
Italian race, only that they are more yellow beneath, and 
when first from the cells, or newly hatched, they are very 
dark, owing to the fact that the body rings seem pushed 
together. From the admirable way in which they defend 
their hives against robbers, the ease with which they are 
shaken from the combs, their great activity, their great 
tendency to remain in the hive on very windy days, the 
wonderful fecundity of the queen, her persistence in laying 
during a dearth of nectar secretion, and their great supe- 
