THE ITALIAN BEE. 293 



and general good reputation of this race, we did not attempt 

 to propagate it, owing to the difficulty of detecting their 

 inatmg with the common bees, suice they are almost alike in 

 color. 



These bees have since been bred largely in the U. S., and are 

 praised for their prolificness and peaceable disposition. 



550. Besides the common bee, there are a great many 

 varieties. The best known are : 1st, the Ligurian, Apis 

 Ligustica, so named by Spinola, because he found it first, in 

 the part of Italy called Liguria. The Kev. E. W. Gilman, 

 of Bangor, Maine, directed the writer's attention to Spinola's 

 "Insectorum Liguriae species novae aut rariores," from which 

 it appears, that Spinola accurately described all the peculiari- 

 ties of this beCj which he found in Piedmont, in 1805. He 

 fully identified it with the bee described by Aristotle. 



2nd. The Apis fasciata (banded bee). This bee, related to 

 the Italian, or Ligurian, which has yellov.- bands also, is found 

 in Egypt, in Arabia, along both sides of the Re'd Sea, in Syria, 

 in Cyprus and in Caucasus. 



3d. We shall mention also the large Apis dorsata of South- 

 ern Asia, and the melipones of Brazil and Mexico. 



551. The Italian bee. Apis Ligusiira, spoken of by Aris- 

 totle and Virgil as the best kind, still exists distmct and pure 

 from the common kmd, after the lapse of more than two thou- 

 sand years. 



The great superiority of this race, over any other race 

 known, is now universally acknowledged; for it has victo- 

 riously stood the test -of practical bee-keepers, side by side 

 with the common bee. The ultimate superseding of the com- 

 mon bee by the Italian in this country is but a matter of 

 time. Already, in many parts of Colorado, no other race 

 is to be found. 



552. The following facts are evident: 



1st. The Italian bees are less sensitive to cold than the 

 common kind. 2nd. Their queens are more prolific. 3d. 

 'They defend their hives better against insects. Moths (802) 



