MANUAL OF THE APIAllY. 43 



quite indistinct. But the under side of the body is always, 

 so far as I have observed, mainly yellow. 



THE SYRIAN AND CYERIAN 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 European apiar- 

 ists, that the Cyprian is a superior race of bees.* 



OTHER RACES. 



The Egyptian bees are very yellow, intensely cross, and 

 frequently have fertile workers. These are probably the bees 

 which are famous in history, as having been moved up and 

 down the Nile, in rude boats or rafts, as the varying periods 

 of nectar-secreting bloom seemed to demand. 



The heath bees of Northern Germany are much like the 

 common Glerman bees, of which they are a variety, except 

 they are far more inclined to swarm.f 



* Mr. Benton, who has given this subject much attention, thinks the Cyprian 

 bees are the ofifepring of the Syrian, and from the similarity of the woriter bees 

 of the two races, as weJl as the fact that migrations of all kinds have gone west- 

 ward, Instead of eastward ; this view is very probably correct. A similar argu- 

 ment would make it presumable that these Cyprians gave rise to the Italians. 

 But from the long separation of the three races, they have - become distinct and 

 well marked. 



The Syrian queens are very uniform. Their abdomens are beautifully banded 

 with yellow and black. They are very quick and remarkably prolific. The work- 

 ers closely resemble those of the Italian race, except they are more yellow be- 

 neath. From their active habits, the admirable way tbat they defend their hives 

 against robbers, and the remarkable fecundity of the queens, we can but con- 

 clude that this race will prove a valuable acquisition to our apiaries. The Cyprians 

 are even more like the Italians in appearance. The queens are much like those 

 of the Italian race, while the workers have theyellow venters of the Syrians. 

 Mr. Benton finds that all the praise given these bees by such disinterested 

 observers as Mr. Cori, is well merited. Both the Syrians and the Cyprians are 

 gentle and pleasant to handle. In this respect they are nearly equal to the very 

 gentle Italians. 



fThe Carniolan bees of South-western Austria are like the heath variety, but 

 are specially noted for their very gentle dispositions. Some European bee-keep- 

 ers claim that this race or variety is much superior to the common race of bees. 

 The Hungarian bees are longer than the typical German race, and are covered 

 with gray hairs. During the poor season of 1875 in Europe, these bees, like the 

 Camiolans, were found superior even to the Italians. The beautiful Dalniatian 

 bees are slim, wasp-like and very black. The rings of their abdomens are banded 

 with lightish-yellow. Their honey is even m.ore white and beautiful than that of 

 the German race. Some of the best European bee-keepers claim that they are 

 superior to the Italian bees. Akin to the Dalmatian bees are the Herzegovinian 

 variety, which come from the mountainous region of European Turkey border- 

 ing on the Adriatic Sea. A better marked variety— the Smyrnian bees— from 

 Western Asia, are also much praised by some of the noted Austrian bee-keep- 

 ers, as are also the Caucasian, from the Caucasus Mountains, which are said to 

 be very active and very amiable. It is quite likely that some of these varieties 

 might be found to endure our severe winters better than the pure German type 

 or the Italians. 



