202 THE APIARY. 



found out where those strang-e-looking- bees come from ; 

 for," said he, " these yellow-jackets are incessant visitors 

 to my hives. I thought they were a species of wasp that 

 had come to rob, and until now I have been unable to 

 account for their appearance at the entrance of my hive, 

 so that I have killed them by hundreds." This was not 

 at all pleasing intelligence for us, and we trust that our 

 neighbour has been more lenient to " the yellow-jackets " 

 since his visit, for such summary capital punishment 

 was wholly unmerited, because, when a bee is peace- 

 ably received (see page 127), it becomes naturalized, 

 and works side by side with the others in its fresh abode. 

 We are inclined to believe that more visiting takes place 

 amongst bees of different hives than bee-keepers have 

 been accustomed to suppose: where the Italian and 

 black bees are kept near each other, the foreigners 

 being conspicuous by their lighter colour, there is less 

 difficulty in identifying them when at the entrance of 

 other hives. 



In the season of 1864, we had more honey from a 

 Lfgurian stock than from any one of our colonies of 

 black bees. From this Ligurian hive we have taken 

 a glass super containing 40 lbs. nett of honey, besides 

 having drawn from it an artificial swarm ; and, after all, 

 it remains the strongest hive in our apiary. 



The Baron Von Berlepsch and Pastor Dzierzon, who 

 are probably the two most intelligent and skilful bee- 

 keepers of Germany, award to the Italian a very decided 



