CHAPTER V. 



ITALIAN BES.S. 



This variety of the honey bee, called also Ligurian bee, is 

 found in small districts amid the Alps, embracing portions of 

 Switzerland and Northern Italy. They are of a striped golden 

 color, and were described by Aristotle, Virgil, and other ancient 

 writers, as variegated in color, and the most valuable kind then 

 known, but for centuries they were unknown outside of the dis- 

 tricts above named, the surrounding mountains covered with per- 

 petual snow being impassable by their wings. 



They were accidentally discovered, during the wars of Napo- 

 leon, by Captain Baldenstein, who carried the first colony across 

 the Alps in 1843. In 1853 they were introduced by Dzierzon into 

 Germany, and into the United States in I860. There has since 

 been several importations. "We were slow to believe all the 

 good tilings said of them by German apiarians, until convinced 

 of their superiority by the universal testimony of prominent 

 American bee-keepers, coupled with our own experience. We 

 present a few extracts. 



" "We believe that the superiority of the Italian bee is no 

 longer questionable." — California Culturist. 



" All agreed as to the superiority of the Italian to the com- 

 mon black bee." — From the Report of the American Apiarian 

 Convention. 



