THE ITALIAN OR LIGURIAN BEL. 41 
other than movable-frame hives, so that in the 
case of skeps the simple plan must be to insert 
a living: queen in each hive to be Itahanised. She 
may be so introduced at any time of the year 
which is preferred, and where once placed she 
will permanently remain. One of these courses 
must be pursued whenever a new queen is intro- 
duced into a hive; and it will be better for the sake 
of beginners if we add that the above caging of the 
queen will be requisite on the first autumnal intro- 
duction into the frame hive as well as at the 
transfer in the spring. 
The great trouble to the apiculturist in respect of 
this process is the liability of the colonies to de- 
generate into mongrels; and though many are of 
opinion that half-bred Italians are even superior 
to the pure ones (except as to their temper), it is 
still desirable to be able to put a limit upon the 
intermixture. This power it would appear that we 
now do possess. The precautions specified above 
would go a long way to securing this end, and 
the excision of drone comb from the other hives 
provides a further guarantee, but one which could 
not be relied upon when another apiary was in the 
neighbourhood, or even within half a dozen miles. 
But we now hear of successful efforts at obtaining the 
pairing of bees under confinement, and after its having 
been considerably adopted in America, we find in 
the British Bee Journal of August, 1878, a letter 
from the gentleman who writes under the name of 
“Dr. Pine,” which states that be has partially suc- 
ceeded in a like effort in this country. Those who 
