286 KACES OF BEKS. 



lar in markings, some being of a very bright yellow coloi*, 

 others almost as dark as drones or queens of common bees. 



" It is a remarkable fact that an Italian queen, impregnated by 

 a common drone, and a common queen impregnated by an Ital- 

 ian drone, do not produce workers of a uniform intermediate 

 cast, or hybrids ; but some of the workers bred from the eggs of 

 each queen will be purely of the Italian, and others as purely of 

 the common race, only a few of them, indeed, being apparently 

 hybrids. Berlepsch also had several mismated queens, which at 

 first produced Italian workers exclusively, and afterwards com- 

 mon workers as exclusively. Some such queens produced fully 

 tliree-fourths Italian workers; others, common workers in the 

 same proportion. May, he states that he had one beautiful 

 orange-yellow mismated Italian queen which did not produce a 

 single Italian worlier, but only common workers, perhaps a 

 shade lighter in color. Tlie drones, however, produced by a mis- 

 mated Italian queen are uniformly of the Italian race, and this 

 fact, besides demonstrating the truth of Dzierzon's theory,(l33) 

 renders the preservation and perpetuation of the Italian race, in 

 its purity, entirely feasible in any country where they may be 

 introduced." — S. Wagner. 



656. The Italian bees from different parts of Italy are of 

 different shades, but otherwise, preserve about the same 

 characteristics all over the peninsula. But how can they 

 keep pure, since there are common bees in Europe? A 

 glance at the map will answer the question. Italy is sur- 

 rounded on all sides by water or snow-covered mountains, 

 which offer an insuperable barrier to any insects. This is 

 further evidenced by the fact that the bees of the canton of 

 Tessin (Italian Switzerland) are Italians, being on the 

 South side of the Alps, while those of the canton of Uri 

 (German Switzerland), on the other side of the mountains 

 and only a few miles off, are common bees.* 



557. The importation of Italian bees to another country 

 was first attempted by Capt. Baldenstein. 



» The idea that select Italian bees raised in America, may he purer than any 

 Italians ever imported, has been gravely discussed by some persons. 



