Aj'is Afcllifiea — German Bcc. 35 



in tlie next cliaptcr, as we proceed with their anatomy and 

 phj'siology. As before stated, tliis species is native exclusivelj 

 to the Eastern liemisphere, tlioiigh it has been introduced 

 wherever civilized man lias taken up his abode. 



VARIETIES! OF THE HONEY-BEE. 



German or Blade Bee. 



The German or bhick bee is the variety best known, as 

 through all the ages it has been most widely distributed. The 

 name German refers to locality, while the name black is a 

 misnomer, as the bee is a gray-black. The queen, and, in a 

 less degree, the drones, are darker, while the legs and under- 

 surfaee of the former are brown, or copper colored, and of the 

 latter light-gray. The tongue of the black worker I have 

 found, bjf repeated dissections and comparisons made both by 

 myself and by my pupils, is shorter than that of the Italian 

 worker, and generally less hairy. The black bees have been 

 known no longer than the Italians, as we find the latter were 

 known both to Aristotle, the fourth century B. C. , and to 

 Virgil, the great Roman poet, who sung of the variegated 

 golden bee, the first century B. C. ; and we can only account 

 for the ^vider distribution of the German bee b}' considering 

 the more vigorous pushing habits of the Germanic races, who 

 not only over-ran and infused life into Southern Europe, but 

 have vitalized all Christendom. 



^ Ligurian or Italian Bee. 



The Italian bee is characterized as a variety, not only by 

 diflierence of color, habits, and activity, but also by possessing 

 a little longer tongue. These bees were first described as 

 distinct from the German race by Spinola, in 1805, who gave 

 the name Ligurian bee, which name prevails in Europe. The 

 name comes from a province of Northern Italy, north of the 

 Ligurian Gulf, or Gulf of Genoa. This region is shut off 

 from Northern Europe by the Alps, and thus these bees were 

 kept apart from the German bees, and in warmer, more genial 

 Italy, was developed a distinct race, our beautiful Italians. 



In 1843, Von Baldenstein procured a colony of these bees, 

 which he had jDreviously observed as peculiar, while stationed 

 as a military captain in Italy. He publishecl bis experience 



