Bee-Culture at Present 389 



comer has joined forces with the brown bee, and gradually, 

 without bloodshed or cruelty of any sort, taken its place. 

 So common has the Italian strain become that in many 

 parts of the country the wild swarms in the bee-trees show 

 the yellow body-bands of the Italians. 



Other bees, since the coming of the Itahans, have been 

 brought to this country, as the Cyprian, Syrian, Carniolan, 

 Palestine, or Holy-land, and Egyptian bees, each kind 

 being distinguished by some peculiar excellence. 



Moreover, new varieties of bees have been developed 

 by cultivation, and there now exist, by design or accident, 

 swarms of hive-bees with so long tongues that they can 

 obtain at least a portion of the red-clover nectar. 



No doubt the bumble-bees, which are our only native 

 honey-makers, and whose structure is very similar to that 

 of the hive-bees, although their habits are widely different, 

 will shortly have to face the problem of how they are to 

 protect tlieir long-time rights in red-clover heads from the 

 arrogant new usurpers. 



Although bumble-bees often store up a honey that is 

 relished by boys and bears, they have never been cultivated 

 nor very highly esteemed by man. 



They build their nests underground or in inaccessible 

 piles of rubbish, and some at least form no waxen cells, 

 the honey when stored being placed in the cocoons deserted 

 by the brood after it is matured. Naturally such honey is 

 not very abundant nor very valuable ; and even where wax 

 cells are built, the yield is far inferior in every way to the 

 store of the hive-bee. 



Still, we could not spare the drowsy hum of the furry 

 bumble-bees in our summer fields ; and let us not forget in 

 our enthusiasm over the hive-bees, that the " burly, dozing 

 Humble-bee " is the native honey-gatherer of North 

 America, — that is, north of Mexico. 



