158 lyOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 



and wrote in 1672. Dr. Belknap says, that he " is the only writer who mentions them, 

 and this was his opinion, with which tradition concurs." Kalm, who travelled through this 

 part of the country in 1T48, seems to have adopted Josselyn's idea. " The people were 

 unanimous," says he, " that the common bees were not in North America before the arrival 

 of the Europeans, but that they were first brought over by the English who settled here. 

 The Indians likewise generally declare, that their fathers had never seen any bees either 

 in the woods, or anywhere else, before the Europeans had been several years settled here. 

 This is further confirmed by the name which the Indians give them ; for having no parti- 

 cular name for them in their language, they call them English flies, because the English 

 first brought them over; but at present they fly plentifully about the woods of North 

 America. However, it has been observed, that the bees always, when they swarm, spread 

 to the southward, and never to the northward. It seems as if they do not find the latter 

 countries so good for their constitution ; therefore, they cannot stay in Canada, and all 

 that have been carried over thither died in winter. It seemed to me as if the bees in 

 America were somewhat smaller than ours in Sweden. They have not yet been found 

 in the woods on the other side of the Blue Mountains, which confirms the opinion of 

 their being brought to America of late." Kauri's Travels in North America, vol. I. 



Upon this it may be remarked, that the country beyond the Alleghany Mountains was 

 but very little known at that period; that, admitting the truth of Kalm's assertion, that 

 bees naturally migrate southward, they might then have existed in this country, without 

 having extended their travels to the cold climate where Josselyn wrote, and, conse- 

 quently, might have escaped bis observation; that the Indians might have been deceived 

 by seeing bees flock to the vicinity of the white settlements, which they would naturally 

 prefer upon account of the abundance of the food, and that, at all events, the opinions of 

 the Indians on subjects of this nature are not entitled to weight ; and that when Kalm 

 states that the bee of this country is smaller than that of Sweden, it goes to prove that 

 it is a variety, and probably indigenous. 



Bartram says, " In the course of conversation with Dr. Grant of Mobile, I remarked 

 that during my travels since leaving the Creek nation, and when there, I had not seen 

 any honey bees. He replied that there were few or none west of the Isthmus of Florida, 

 and but one hive in Mobile, which was lately brought there from Europe, the English 

 supposing that there were none in the country, not finding any when they took possession 

 of it after the Spanish and French. I had been assured by the traders that there were 

 none in West Florida, which, to me, seemed extraordinary, and almost incredible, since 

 they are so numerous all along the eastern continent, from Nova Scotia to East Florida, 

 even in the wild forests, as to be thought by the generality of the inhabitants, aborigines 



