A;pis dorsata. 39 



ascertain if there were better bees than those we already 

 had, and if so to secure thein. Apis dorsata was the spe- 

 cial object of the quest, and as this bee was known as the 

 " great bee of Java," Mr, Benton visited that Island, in 

 hopes to procure these bees. But to the sore disappoint- 

 ment not only of those who had the enterprise in charge, 

 but of all progressive apiarists, the bees in question were 

 not to be found on that island. Mr. Benton learned at 

 great cost that this bee is rare in Java, but common in the 

 ■ jungles of Ceylon, Hindoostan, Farther India, Sumatra, 

 Borneo, and Timor. In Ceylon, Mr. Benton saw many 

 colonies, most of which were in inaccessible places, though 

 he secured, after great labor and hardship, four colonies. 



These bees usually suspend their great combs, which are 

 often six feet long and four feet wide, to overhanging rocks, 

 or to horizontal branches of trees. In one case, Mr. Ben- 

 ton found them in the crevice of a rock, nearly surrounded 

 by the same. This indicates that they may be kept in 

 hives. The combs hang side by side as do those of our 

 common bees, but are one-half inch apart. Mr. Benton 

 found the tops of the combs, which contain the honey, from 

 three to six inches thick, while those where brood is reared 

 are one and one-half inches thick. The drones and work- 

 ers are all reared in the same cells, vyhich are about the 

 size of the drone brood-cells of our honey-comb. The 

 worker bees, some specimens of which I have received from 

 Mr. Jones, in size and general appearance much resemble 

 our Italian queens. They have blue black wings, black 

 bodies, which are ringed very much as are our Italians, only 

 the yellow largely predominates. Mr. Benton writes me 

 that in form and style of flight they much resemble wasps. 

 They are the same size as the drones, varying from three- 

 fourths to seven-eighths of an inch in length. They ai'e 

 easily handled by aid of smoke, and are very clumsy in 

 their attempts to sting. Their sting is no larger than that 

 of our common bees, while the pain from their sting, Mr. 

 Benton says, is not so great. The drones are dark brown, 

 marked with yellow. Stangely enough, they only fly, 

 unless disturbed, after sundown. This is unfortunate, as 

 with the same habits we might hope to mate them with 



