6 
to come across a single specimen of Apis florea, and neither of the 
other two species was at all common. The absence of bees in these 
hills at the time of my visit was indeed remarkable. During the last 
three or four days the weather was, it is true, extremely unfavourable, 
yet even this would hardly account for the almost total absence of bees, 
and I am inclined to suppose that Apis dorsata (and perhaps Apis indica 
also) migrate from these hills into the plains during about July- 
November, This would be in accordance with the habits of Apis 
dorsata elsewhere (notably at Sabour,in Bihar, as Mr. Wvodhouse 
has informed me) but further observations are desirable, as the point 
is of course not only interesting from a bionomic viewpoint but also of 
practical importance in considering the damage to these bees caused 
by the present methods of collecting honey and bees-wax. 
‘“ The right to collect these is leased out by the Forest Department, 
usually to Malayalis living in adjacent villages. The bees (by which 
I refer to the large rock-bee, dps dorsata) suspend their large single 
combs from the lower surface of inwardly sloping rocks which occur 
usually as high cliffs rising for 200 or 300 feet. As these combs are 
usually affixed to overbanging rocks near the top of such a cliff, the 
honey-gatherers generally climb down by a rope ladder fastened from 
the top. Occasionally the ladders break, or the gatherers are so badly 
stung that they lose their hold and drop, being dashed to pieces on 
the rocks below. ‘They are provided with a blanket and a torch, with 
which they burn the bees off the combs, which are then cut and col- 
lected. The destruction of bees by this process, which takes place 
in May-June, is enormous as 1 am informed by all observers. At the 
same time, Iam doubtful whether the honey and wax could be collected 
without the destruction of the bees, which would otherwise pursue the 
plunderers of their stores and exact full vengeance on their disturbers. 
‘“‘ Apis dorsata seems to be a fierce and intractable bee whose 
habit of building a single large comb unfits it for domestication. Its 
migratory habits also, if these are established, form an obstacle from 
an apicultural viewpoint. 
Fic. 3.—Apis dorsata, worker. ‘The small outline figure shows the natural size. 
