RACES OF BEES. 87 



Italian Alp bees, -which show the three iipper bands 

 of the abdomen a bright yellow. This peculiarity, 

 though generally found to exist, is subject to variation, 

 and occasionally Ligurians are inclined to be leather- 

 coloured. This may be, and most probably is, due 

 to crossing with bees that do not show the yellow 

 bands. 



The first Ligurians to reach these shores were two 

 queens sent by Mr. Hermann, a Swiss bee-keeper, one 

 to Mr. T. W. Woodbury, and the other to Mr. A. 

 Neighbour, on August 3rd, 1859. From that time 

 queens and swarms, particularly the former, have 

 been imported annually. 



Whether the object, improvement of the native bee, 

 has, by the introduction of these bees, thereby been 

 attained, is a point upon which opinions vary, 

 many deciding in the affirmative, though some bee- 

 keepers maintain that the only effect perceptible, has 

 been to increase the irritability of the native bees. 

 This is a charge that in varying degree may be laid 

 upon any race introduced, as the crossing of races may, 

 and undoubtedly does, result in many instances in the 

 stinging capability of the bee being increased, though 

 at the same time it has frequently been noted that the 

 worst stingers have almost invariably been the best 

 workers. 



The testimony of many famous bee-keepers, among 

 whom may be mentioned the late Eev. G. Eaynor and 

 Mr. T. W. Cowan, is decidedly in favour of this race, 

 not only on account of the advantages resulting from 

 crossing with the native bee, but chiefly on account of 

 its ability to gather honey from flowers from which the 



