ITALIAN BEES. va 
were introduced into Germany by Mr. Dzierzon in 1852, 
and soon became very popular. 
The first successful importations into this country were 
made in 1860, by Messrs. 8. B. Parsons, of Flushing, L. I, 
P. J. Mahan, of Philadelphia, and R. Colvin, of Baltimore. 
In 1861, Mr. C. W. Rose, of New York city, succeeded in 
bringing six colonies to this country, out of forty-nine 
purchased in their native district. I believe one or two 
other importations have been made. The Italians have 
already been extensively introduced into the apiaries of 
both the Atlantic and Pacific sections of the United States, 
and are becoming great favorites. 
If I am rightly informed, the importations of ese) 
Mahan and Colvin were Soo Germany ; while those of 
Messrs. Parsons and Rose were direct from Italy, the lat- 
ter under the personal care of Mr. August Bodmer, an 
experienced Tyrolean bee-keeper, who selected them in 
their native fastness and brought them hither. 
It is claimed by each of these importers, that he has the 
genuine Italian bee. Whether there is any choice or differ- 
ent degrees of purity in these stocks, I do not pretend to 
decide, but do know that very great care is requisite to breed 
them pure, and the purchaser cannot be too careful of whom 
he obtains his queens. I have examined samples of most, 
IT believe all, of these importations, have queens bred from 
two of them, and am noi yet satisfied as to what consti- 
tutes the distinctive characteristics of the Italian race. If.- 
color be the test, I am still lost ; for I have failed to find 
any that are constant in this respect, or in the number 
and breadth of the yellow bands on their abdominal rings. 
So far as my experiments with them go—and they have 
now been extended through a period of two years—they 
indicate that the lightest colored queens produce the most 
