154, ^ : STATISTICAL SKETCH 



free from every description of fish, owing, probably, to the coldness of the 

 water from the snows. 



The insects are extremely numerous, but offer no new or peculiar varie» 

 ties; and it will therefore be sufficient to mention the bees, which are of two 

 kinds. The domestic bee varies only in size from that of Europe, being 

 considerably smaller. The hives for their reception, which are to be met 

 with in almost every village, consist merely of a log of wood, hollowed 

 out, and the ends stopped with pieces of boards fitted in, and so fastened 

 as to admit of being easily removed. A swarm of bees being procured 

 in the common mode, the hive is then built into one of the outer walls of the 

 house, and a small hole is made at one end for the egress and ingress of 

 the bees. When the honey is considered as ready, the bees are driven out 

 by a continued knocking on the inner end of the hive, the hole of entrance 

 is then stopped to prevent their immediate return, and the board at the back 

 being removed, the honey is taken out ; after which the hive is restored to its 

 original state, and the bees suffered to retake possession. The quantity 

 of wax afforded by these bees is trifling ; the honey is, however, remark- 

 ably white and fine flavored. The wild bee, which exactly corresponds 

 with the humble bee of Europe, builds its nest on the rocks and in the caves 

 at the base of the snowy mountains : as their honey is not an object, the 

 nests are not taken till voluntarily evacuated, and being thus unmolested the 

 bees continue, year after year, to build at the same spot. The nests in ques- 

 tion yield from two to eight seers of wax each. It may be remarked, that 

 locusts rarely visit these hills : some considerable flocks made their appear- 

 ance in 18^0, after an interval of twenty years, but they were almost immedi- 

 ately destroyed by rain. 



As the diversity of temperature and climate to be found at the various 

 degrees of elevation on the mountains, tends so greatly to multiply the 



