28 AUSTRALASIAN 
generally, the bee appears to have been introduced at an early 
period by the Spaniards, and probably spread itself thence to 
the districts of Venezuela, Peru, and Chili, in South America. 
Its introduction into Australia and New Zealand has been 
noticed in the preceding chapter. With regard to its first 
importation into North America, Dr. J. P. H. Brown, an em1- 
nent American apiarist, in a paper read by him at the National 
Convention in 1881, says, “The Black or German bee was 
introduced, it is believed, into Pennsylvania from Germany, 
about the year 1627.” It certainly appears very probable that 
William Penn’s followers would have endeavoured to introduce 
bees from England, if not from Germany, as soon as they began 
to settle down ‘in their new home; nevertheless it is very 
likely that in the severe winter climate of Pennsylvania and 
New York the bees would not spontaneously wander far from 
the human settlements, and that it was only when they got 
fairly established in the favourable climate of Florida, as 
mentioned by Dr. Gerstaecker, that they began to spread 
themselves westwards in advance of the new settlements. 
GERMAN, OR BLACK BEE. 
Fig. 1.—BLACK QUEEN, 
Neither of the names, German or Black, is a correct desiona- 
tion of this variety ; for, as Dr. Gerstaecker has shown, it ie 
by no means confined originally to Germany, and its prevailing 
colour is more brown than black ; but these are the names by 
which it is now universally known. 
