BLACK OR GERMAN BEES 11 



is being developed, as a result of these crosses and the natural 

 adaptation to a new environment. The term "hybrid" is 

 usually used to designate any bee which is not pure, of one race 

 or another. It is quite probable that time will demonstrate 

 that the race which is best suited to the conditions of California 

 is not the best for New York or Minnesota. Up to the present 

 time, the Italians are the only ones which have been given an 

 extended trial in all parts of the country, except the blacks, 

 which were the first to be introduced. There is still room for 

 extensive experiments in comparative tests of the races under 

 the various conditions of different sections of America. 



Black or German Bees. * 



Black bees are very generally supposed to have been first 

 introduced into America from Germany but very probably 

 they came first from Spain. The native black bees of Great 

 Britain, France, Germany and Spain are said to vary but little. 

 The ground color of the whole body is black with the bands of 

 whitish hairs on the abdomen very narrow and inconspicuous. 

 F. W. L. Sladen, who was at one time extensively engaged in 

 queen rearing in England, says that "In the cool and windy 

 summer climate of the British Isles it is unsurpassed by any other 

 pure race for industry in honey gathering, working early and 

 late." 



The blacks are easy to shake off their combs, and cap the 

 comb honey very white, making an attractive product. Since 

 extracted honey is coming more and more into favor, the mat- 

 ter of white capping is of constantly diminishing importance. 

 One of the worst objections to the blacks is their excitable 

 nature. When the hive is opened they run about nervously, 

 and often boil out over the top in a most disconcerting manner. 

 The queens are difficult to find, because of the fact that instead 



*" According to the quotations from the American Bee Journal, common bees were im- 

 ported into Florida, by the Spaniards, previous to 1763, for they were first noticed in West 

 Florida in that year. They appeared in Kentucky in 1780, in New York in 1793, and 

 west of the Mississippi in 1797." — Dadant, Langstroth on the Honey Bee. 



