34 AUSTRALASIAN 
first, in being better honey-gatherers ; second, in possessing 
longer tongues; 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 “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 @ queeu-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. 
