54 A Moaem Bee-Farm 



CYPRIANS. 



Among the yellow races these were at one time expected 

 to take the front rank. Though not suitable for the 

 production of comb-honey, they are very active honey 

 gatherers and extremely docile, while their great beauty 

 is undeniable. They have three bright yellow bands on 

 the abdomen, followed by broad bars of light yellow hair. 

 Unlike Ligurians, the yellow extends to the under-side of 

 the body, as it does also in a less degree with Syrians. 

 The body is much smaller than that of the native variety, 

 tapering to a fine point, quite unlike the more rounded 

 form of the other. 



After an extensive experience, however, this variety has 

 been discarded, as their faults far out-balance their virtues. 

 Hybrids from these are more vicious than any, while both 

 the pure race and the hybrids have a very bad habit of 

 starting fertile workers, either with or without a queen. 

 This was so serious a matter in my queen-rearing apiary,, 

 that I finally discarded them some seven years since. 



SYRIANS. 



These are, in appearance, much like the foregoing, 

 though of a darker shade, and sometimes are not so well 

 marked as Ligurians, though always yellow on the under- 

 side of the abdomen. Instead of having cream-coloured 

 bands of hair like Cyprians, these have corresponding bars 

 of a bluish white colour, much like the Albinos supposed 

 to have been bred from an off-shoot of the Ligurian 

 variety ; while some condemn Syrians as utterly un- 

 manageable, others claim that they have many valuable 

 qualities. 



I have found among them queens producing workers 

 almost unmanageable, while a larger number gave bees 

 that could be handled like flies. How misleading, then. 



