58 AUSTRALIAN BEE LORE AND BEE CULTURE- 



whom we applied, and from which we compile the following 

 answers : — 



1st. The general opinion is "No," as it regards markings or 

 appearances. The drone progeny from a queen that has mated 

 with a drone of another variety partakes of the nature of both 

 parents, but the maternal nature always predominates. Two very 

 striking instances in proof thereof are mentioned. A writer says, 

 "I bred a solid yellow American queen, not a particle of dark 

 colour even at the tip (Sixth dorsal plate). This queen was 

 mated with a Ligurian (Italian) drone. This queen, during the 

 Summer of 1893-94, produced, being young, evenly marked drones, 

 almost yellow (samples of them were forwarded by Mr. Mans- 

 field, Largs, to the Technological Museum, Maitland). During 

 the Summer 1894-95 about 10 per- cent, of drones from this same 

 queen varied from the characteristics of the typical Liguriams." 

 In the second case there was a similar result, but the mother bee 

 was one remove further from the American blood by that of 

 Ligurian, in this case there were between 40 and 50 per cent, of 

 the drones showing Ligurian markings. 



2nd. The male progeny partakes of the paternal colour and 

 markings, with the exception that the hairs on the abdomen are 

 browner and more dense near the tip. 



3rd. The same markings as those from a pure Italian queen, 

 i.e., the three bronze bars on the upper edges of the abdominal 

 segments, each of these bars being somewhat narrower than those 

 of the cross mentioned in No. 2 answer. Occasionally there is a 

 darker patch of bronze extending from the first and second dorsal- 

 ring, and partly down each side of the segment. The rest of the 

 abdomen is black. Of the species forwarded to the Maitland 

 Technological Museum the donor says, "Many persons are disap- 

 pointed in the appearance of these drones, and it would be a good 

 thing to make these characteristics more generally known." 



4th. These drones 1 vary in their markings similar to that of 

 the workers, the black blood showing itself more prominently 

 in some of the progeny, and again in others of the same family 

 the Italian markings predominate. 



5th. None of our correspondents have traced as yet the Italian 

 blood beyond the third generation. This is a point well worthy 

 of careful investigation. 



For breeding purposes the strongest male beesi should be used. 

 As stated above, the strongest drone is naturally the selected male, 



