252 BEE MAMPULATIOX. [Ch. \-. 



gradually introduced to her new subjects in the manner 

 explained under that article (pages 198 and 247). 



If this is successfully accomplished all is right so far ; 

 but unless considerable pains be taken the off-coming 

 swarms mil certainly produce mongrel bees. If none of 

 the neighbouring residents are bee-keepers, the risk may 

 be considerably narrowed by destroying the drones and 

 drone comb in the other hives and rearing Italian queens 

 to place at the head of each of these as speedily as 

 possible. Every one of these queens, even if impregnated 

 from an undesired source, will still produce drones as 

 purely Italian as herself (see page 64), and thus in another 

 year the chance of Italian mates being found for the 

 queens will be further increased : indeed the peculiarity 

 of Italian queens in laying drone eggs in 'Ca&xx first year 

 will probably produce this result more speedily. But 

 should some hybrids be the result, as in all probability 

 will be the case, even these are much to be preferred to 

 the common black bee — some say (see page 53) that 

 they are even better than pure Italians for honey-gather- 

 ing, but they are more irascible. 



This course is undoubtedly in opposition to the design 

 of Nature to avoid interbreeding, but we find even Mr. 

 Hunter recommending it, though shomng in another 

 place that he perceives it to be a violation of his " law. ' 

 By commencing with two Italian queens there might be 

 more chance given of escape from the evil — if it really is 

 an evil when not several times repeated. Von Berlepsch, 



