318 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE ITALIAN HONET-BBB. 



Aristotle speaks of three different species of the honey- 

 bee, as well known in his time. The best variety he des- 

 cribes as " (Jiixpa, jTpoyyuXiJ xai croixiX');" — that is, small and 

 romid in size and shape, and variegated in color. 



Virgil {Georgicon, lib. IV., 98) speaks of two kinds as 

 flourishiag in his time ; the better of the two, he thus 

 describes : 



Elucent aliae, et fulgore caruscant, 

 Ardentes auro, et paribus, iita corpora guttia. 

 Hsec potior soboles ; hino cqeli tempore certo 

 Dulcia mella premes." 



The better variety, it will be seen, he characterizes as 

 spotted or variegated, and of a beautiful golden color. 



The attention of bee-keepere has recently been called to 

 this variety of the honey-bee, which, after the lapse of 

 more than two thousand years, stiU exists distioct and 

 pure from the common kind. The following letter from 

 Mr. Wagner will show the unportance attached to this 

 species, by some of "the most skillful and successful Apia- 

 rians in Europe : 



"York, Pa., August 5, 18:6. 



" Mt Dear Sir : — The first account we have of the Italian 

 bees, as a distinct race or variety, is that given by Capt. Balden- 

 stein, in the Bienenzeitung, 1848, p. 26.* Being stationed in 



* Tlie Rev. E. W. Gilman, of Bangor Maine, has recentlf directed my attention 

 to Spinola's " /Ttsflciorwwj lAgwrim sp&cies novas aut rariore^" fi-om which it 

 appears, that Spinola accurately descrihed all the peculiarities of this bee, which he 

 found in Piedmont, in 1S05. He fully identified it with the bee described by Aris- 

 totle, and calls it tM LigvHim, Bee, a name now very generally adopted in 

 Europe. 



