§ v.] THE ITALIAN OR LIGURIAN BEE. 35 



country. It has been called "the Yellow Italian Alp 

 Bee," and was also named " the Ligurian Bee " by the 

 Marquis de Spinola, who found it in Piedmont in 1805 ; 

 and he considered it to be the principal species known 

 to the Greeks. " There can exist no doubt," says Kleine, 

 in his handbook, "The Italian Bee and its Culture," 

 " that both kinds were known side by side from the 

 earliest times. Even mythology relates that Jupiter, out 

 of gratitude for their having fed him with honey when a 

 new-born god, afterwards made the bee ' brass-coloured ' 

 or 'golden-coloured.' Aristotle also noticed the coloured 

 as different from the black bee, and Virgil adduces the 

 same distinction." The latter speaks of the "best kind " 

 of bee as being of a golden colour with ruddy scales. It 

 is stated that it is found also in Spain. Leading apiarians 

 are all but unanimous in pronouncing these bees justly 

 entitled to the high character given them. The special 

 advantages claimed for them are — greater fecundity of 

 the queens, more industry and productiveness, less irasci- 

 bility, and a more handsome appearance ; for, being of 

 a golden colour, they are prettier than our black bees. 

 (See coloured engraving, Plate I. Figs, i, 2, 3.) 



The Italian varies but little from the common bee in 

 its physical characteristics. The difference in appear- 

 ance consists in the first three rings of the abdomen 

 being of an orange colour instead of a deep brown, ex 

 cept the posterior edge and under portion of the third, 

 which are black : some individuals, however, have less 



