42 



The Italian Race. 



Li((iirian or Italian Bee, 



The Italian bee is chaiacterized as a race, not only by 

 difference of color, habits, and activity, but also by possess- 

 ing 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 dis- 

 tinct race, our beautiful Italians. It seems to me quite 

 reasonable to suppose from the appearance of the bees, and 

 also from the migrations of the human race, that the Ital- 

 ian bee is an off-shoot from the Cyprian i"ace. 



In 1843 Von Baldenstein procured a colony of these 

 bees, which he had previously observed as peculiar, while 

 stationed as a military captain in Italy. He published his 

 experience in 1848, which was read by Dzierzon, who 

 became interested, and through him the Italian became 

 generally introduced into Germany. In 1859, six years 

 after Dzierzon's first importation, the Italian bee was intro- 

 duced into England by Neighbour, the author of the valu- 

 able treatise already referred to. The same year, Messrs. 

 Wagner and Colvin imported the Italians from Dzierzon's 

 apiary into America; and in i860, Mr. S. P. Parsons 

 brought the first colonies that were imported direct from 

 Italy. 



The Italian worker is quickly distinguished by the bright 

 yellow rings at the base of the abdomen. Perhaps golden 

 would be a better term, as these bands are often bright 

 orange. If the colony be pure, every bee will show three 

 of these golden girdles (Fig. 7, A, B, C). The first two 

 segments or rings of the abdomen, except at their posterior 

 border, and also the base or anterior border of the third, 

 will be of this orange-yellow hue. The rest of the back 

 or dorsal surface will be much as in the German race. 

 Underneath, the abdomen, except for a greater or less dis- 

 tance at the tip), will also be yellow, while the same color 



