264 What Bees to Keep. 
ss * 
my regret; for, as we removed the honey in the autumn, 
they seemed perfectly furious, like demons, seeking whom 
they might devour, and this, too, despite the smoker, while 
the far more numerous Italians were safely handled, even 
without smoke. The experiment at least satisfied a large class 
of students as to superiority. Mr. Quinby speaks in his book 
of their being cross, and Captain Hetherington tells me that 
if not much handled they are more cross than the blacks, 
From my own experience, I cannot understand this, Hy- 
brids, between blacks and Italians, are even more cross than 
are the pure black bees, but otherwise are nearly as desir- 
able as the pure Italians. 
IT have kept these two'races side by side for years; I 
have studied them most carefully, and I feel sure that none 
of the above eleven points of excellence are too strongly 
stated. 
The black bees will go into sections more readily than 
Italians, yet the skillful apiarist will find it easy to over- 
come this objection in manner already described. 
There is no question but that the German bees produce 
nicer, whiter comb honey than do the Italians. This supe- 
riority is due in part to thicker cappings, and to a wider 
air space between honey and capping. This, however, is 
too nice a point to count very greatly in their favor. The 
comb honey produced by Italians does not have to go 
begging in the markets. 
The advantages of the Italians, which have been consid- 
ered thus fully, are more than sufficient to warrant the 
exclusion of the German bees from the apiary. Truly, no 
one needs to be urged to a course that adds to the ease, 
profit and agreeableness of his vocation. 
THE NEW RACES OF BEES. 
All of the valuable characteristics of the Italian bees are 
exaggerated in the Syrian bees, except that of amiability. 
This feature, irritability, would not be an objection to an 
experienced bee-keeper. I believe, after several years’ 
experience with the Syrians, that they will soon be as 
pleasant to manage and handle as are the Italians. They 
are not so readily subdued with smoke as are the Italians, 
