ITALIAN BEES. 39 
being reared in the vicinity of queen-cells, and partaking 
of a small quantity of royal food ; by the fact that he had 
fertile workers that were taken from a colony that had 
never reared a queen. 
Personally, I have great interest in these physiological 
investigations, but have preferred to carry out the original 
design of this book, in dwelling chiefly upon the practical, 
rather than the theoretical and scientific phases of the 
” subject. 
The natural history of the bee has been most ably pre- 
sented by Prof. Cook, in his ‘‘ Manual of the Apiary,” 
which I heartily commend to all who are interested in 
that branch of apiarian science. 
CHAPTER II. 
ITALIAN BEES. 
ITALIAN OR LIGURIAN BEES, 
It is only within the past twenty years that American 
bee-keepers have known of the existence of any other than 
our native, or dark-colored, bees. Olassical scholars famil- 
jar with Aristotle and Virgil, have doubtless read of the 
different varieties described by them, but would scarcely 
imagine that the beautiful golden bees of Virgil’s song 
have perpetuated their race in such purity, that their 
descendants are to-day bred as a distinct variety in our 
apiaries. 
Mr. Langstroth, in his valuable treatise, gives much 
interesting information concerning the cultivation of the 
Italian bees in Europe, to which I refer those curious 
upon the subject. 
FIRST INTRODUCED IN AMERICA. 
Efforts were made to import Italian bees to America in 
