THE ITALIAN OB LIGUEIAN BEE. 315 



among the combs and out of the way, but while the latter 

 would be quickly and easily subdued, the former would 

 return again and again, darting at my face like a shot, and 

 not always without effect. They are remarkably quick. 

 When I stand within two or three feet of a family of 

 black bees, and see one start for my face, I can often 

 avert it in time to prevent a sting ; but he must be a skill- 

 ful swordsman, who would thus parry the lightning-thrust 

 of the Italian. 



The results obtained during the summer , of 1862 corre- 

 sponded with those of the preceding year, and tended 

 strongly to establish their superiority. 



SWARMING. 



Having a large proportion of hybrids, I had an oppor- 

 tunity to observe their swarming qualities. I found that 

 they swarmed more, began earliei", and continued later, 

 than the native bees. During the season of '63 there was 

 a still greater difference manifest. The hybrids and a few 

 pure ones, about seventy in number, constituted the whole 

 apiary. Having no native bees in the yard' with them — 

 which of course would have furnished a more complete 

 test — ^I had to compare them with others near by. With- 

 in three rmles, in different directions, were six large apia- 

 ries, comprising nearly 300 colonies. If I except a few 

 hybrids in one yard, the whole of them together failed to 

 produce as many swarms as this one. Yet each of these 

 six apiaries had the advantage of pasture, being located on 

 the outside. The Italians began to swarm three weeks 

 before the others. The first one, a hybrid, issued on 

 the 20th of May, and a second from the same hive, on the 

 30th. As this was a season of but little honey, these two 

 were put in hives containing combs and a little honey 

 gathered the year before. By the 11th of July the old 



