282 RACES OF BEES. 



Virgil (Georgica, lib. IV., 98) speaks of two kinds as 

 flourishing in his time ; the better of the two he thus de- 

 scribes : 



" Elucent allre, et fulgore ooruscant, 

 Ardentes auro, et paribus lita corpora guttis. 

 Haec potior soboles ; Mno cceU tempore certo 

 Dulcia mella premes." 



" The others glitter, and their variegated bodies shine like 

 drops of sprinkling gold. This better breed! Thanks to 

 them, if the weather of the sky is certain, you will have honey 

 comhsto press." 



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

 spotted or variegated, and of a beautiful golden color. 



549. The first bee introduced into America, was the 

 common bee of Europe, Western Asia, and Western Africa, 

 Apis melliflca, usually designated under the name of black, 

 or gray bee. Both names are appropriate, since the race 

 varies in shade, according to localities. In the greater part 

 of Africa, as well as in the European provinces of Turkey, 

 the common bees are dark, nearly black. In other places, 

 their color is grayish. They vary in size, as well. Accord- 

 ing to some French writers, the bees of Holland are small, 

 and denominated ■'■la petite Hollandaise" (the little Hol- 

 lander) ; on the other hand, the Carniolan* bees are quite 

 large. We have never seen queens as large as some Car- 

 niolans which we imported some ten years ago. But, in spite 

 of the proliflcness and general good reputation of this race, 

 we did not attempt to propagate it, owing to the difficulty 

 of detecting their mating with the common bees, since they 

 are almost alike in color. 



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

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

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



♦ Carniola is a province of Austria, near the Adriatic, hxfi qn tlae East slppe 

 of the mountalna. 



