44 Cyprian and Syrian Bees. 



Tirn SYRIAN AND CYPRIAN RACES. 



Through the enterprise of Messrs. D. A. Jones and 

 Frank Benton, we now have these races hi our country, 

 and have proved the truth of the assertion of noted Euro- 

 pean apiarists, that the Cyprian is a distinct race of bees. 



Mr. Benton, than whom no one is better fitted to express 

 a correct opinion, thinl^s that the Cyprian bees are the off- 

 spring of the Syrian. This opinion is strengthened by the 

 close resemblance of the three races, and by the fact that 

 migrations of all kinds have gone ^vestward. A similar 

 argument would make it presumable that the Cyprians 

 gave rise to the Italians. 



The Cyprian bees resemble the Italians very closely. 

 They may be distinguished by the bright leather-colored 

 lunule which tips their thorax posteriorly, and by the fact 

 that the underside of their bodies is yellow to the tip. They 

 are more active than are the Italians, and the queens are 

 more prolific. 



The good qualities of the Italians seem all to be exag- 

 gerated in the Cyprians, except the trait of amiability. 

 The Cyprian bees are second only to the Egyptian in irri- 

 tability. That they will become less cross with handling 

 is to be expected. 



The Syrian bees are from Asiatic Turkev, north of 

 Mount Carmel, and are a very well marked race. The 

 Syrian queens are remarkably uniform. Their abdomens 

 above are, like the little A. Indica, beautifully banded with 

 yellow and black. They are very quick and remarkably 

 prolific. They do not cease laying even when the honey 

 flow ceases. The workers closely resemble those of the 

 Italian race, only that they are more yellow beneath, and 

 when first from the cells, or newly hatched, they are very 

 dark, owing to the fact that the body rings seem pushed 

 together. From the admirable way in which they defend 

 their hives against robbers, the ease with which they are 

 shaken from the combs, their great activity, their great 

 tendency to remain in the hive on very windy days, the 

 wonderful fecundity of the queen, her persistence in layino- 

 during a dearth of nectar secretion, and their great supe- 



