THE ITALIAN BEE. 447 



after the lapse of two or three days, or as soon as the work- 

 ers decidedly manifest consciousness of the deprivation, 

 supplying them with an Italian queen. We are thereby also 

 enabled to note the gradual disappearance of the old race, 

 as it becomes supplanted by the new. Besides the increased 

 profit thus derivable from bee-culture, this species also fur- 

 nishes us with no small gratification in studying the nature, 

 habits and economy of the insect, to greater advantage ; 

 because by means of it, the most interesting experiments, 

 investigations and observations may be instituted, and thus 

 the remaining doubts and difficulties be cleared up." 



Busch (" Moot points of bee-culture, Gotha, 1855,") de- 

 scribes the Italian bee as follows : — " The workers are 

 smooth and glossy, and the color of their abdominal rings is 

 a medium between the pale yellow of straw and the deeper 

 yellow of ochre. These rings have a narrow black edge or 

 border, so that the yellow, (which might be called leather 

 colored,) constitutes the ground, and is seemingly barred 

 over by these slight black edges or borders. This is most 

 distinctly perceptible, when a brood comb, on which bees 

 are densely crowded, is taken out of a hive. The drones 

 difier from the workers in having the upper half of their ab- 

 dominal rings black, and the lower half an ochry-yellow, 

 thus causing the abdomen, when viewed from above, to ap- 

 pear annulated. The queen diflTers from the common kind, 

 chiefly in the greater brightness and brilliancy of her 

 colors." 



Dzierzon says, " It has been questioned, even by experi- 

 enced and expert Apiarians, whether the Italian race can be 

 preserved in its purity, in countries where the common kind 

 prevail. There need be no uneasiness on this score. Their 

 preservation could be accomplished, even if natural swarm- 

 ing had to be relied on, because they naturally swarra earlier 



