34 AUSTRALASIAN 



first, in being better honey-gatherers ; second, in possessing 

 longer tongues j third, in being more prolific ; and fourth, in 

 being more gentle, though, if once aroused, I believe them to 

 be as vicious as hybrids. Hybrids I have found best of all for 

 honey-gathering and for hardiness. As to prolificness, I think 

 they are about equal to Italians. To sum up, I would place 

 the three sorts in the following order for the different qualities 

 required : — As honey-gatherers — Hybrids, Italians, Germans ; 

 for gentleness, Italians, Germans, Hybrids ; for prolificness, 

 Italians and Hybrids equal, Germans; for hardiness, Hybrids, 

 Italians and Germans I have seen little difference between ; 

 for protecting their hives against robbers, Italians, Hybrids, 

 Germans ; for comb-honey raising, Germans, Hybrids, Italians. 



CYPRIAN, SYRIAN, AND PALESTINE BEES. 



The first of these varieties is a native of the Island of Cyprus. 

 The name (t Syrian " is now confined to a race of bees coming 

 from the part of Syria north of the mountain range which 

 extends from the Mediterranean at Mount Carmel eastward to 

 the Jordan, while those coming from the south of that range, 

 although still in Syria, are called " Palestine" or " Holy Land" 

 bees. The first two differ very little from each other ; they 

 have the yellow bands of the Italian, with which race they are 

 probably nearly related, but have also more or less yellow on 

 the thorax. They are evidently those comprised by Dr. Ger- 

 staecker under one head, No. 3, which he mentions as being 

 found on the coast of Asia Minor and the adjacent islands, as 

 well as in other places. The third sort, or " Palestine bee," is 

 as evidently the No. 4, or Egyptian bee of Gerstaecker, which 

 he says inhabits Egypt, Arabia, and Syria. 



Mr. D. A. Jones, of Ontario, Canada, one of the most ex- 

 tensive and enterprising apiarists in the world, paid a visit to 

 Europe and the East in 1879, in search of a superior race of 

 bees, believing that such existed somewhere in those parts. 

 He was accompanied by an experienced entomologist and bee 

 master, Mr. Benton. These gentlemen, after visiting Cyprus, 

 established a queen-rearing apiary there, consisting of about 

 100 colonies. Mr. Jones also procured some bees from Syria 

 and Palestine ; shortly after which he returned to Canada with 

 a number of these bees, leaving Mr. Benton in charge of the 

 Cyprus apiary. 



