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JOURNAL, R. A. S, (CEYLON). [Vol, VIL, Pt. I. 



out the bees by a heavy fire of straw, when the bees fly high in 

 the- air in a straight line ; meanwhile one of the hunters cuts 

 the hive, and lowers it down by means of a rope attached to a 

 basket, and hastens down in time to avoid being stung ; his 

 companions, who preceded him, throw the hive into the fire 

 directly it comes down, in order to burn all the straggling bees 

 in the comb, and remove away the hive at once, for the Bambara 

 when provoked are very persistent in stinging, and the poison 

 is as virulent as that of a wasp. People are known to have 

 been stung to death by swarms of these. This is not to be 

 wondered at, considering that they go to work without any 

 protection to their naked bodies. It is believed — and my ex- 

 perience corroborates the belief — that they do not rebuild their 

 hives in the same place unless a portion of the comb is left 

 behind with the queen bee uninjured. The honey of this bee is 

 very rich in flavour and highly esteemed, and is considered an 

 uncommon luxury among the natives. It is not however so thick 

 as the common bee honey. I have never heard of any attempts 

 being made by natives to domesticate them like the common 

 honey bee of Ceylon ; and it is my impression that any amount 

 of exertion to domesticate them will prove fruitless. One of the 

 peculiar characteristics of this species is that, unlike the common 

 bees, they go about gathering materials for the construction of 

 their hives only during the evening twilight, and myriads of 

 them are seen at that hour in the Mora, Kon, and other flowering 

 forest trees during the season. 



4th.— -Kana Veyiyd (a tiny bee belonging to the Trigone), 

 produces a small quantity of honey which it makes in the 

 hollows of rotten trees and crevices of rocks and dilapidated 

 buildings. I have seen and examined a great many of these 

 combs, which are irregular in shape; they never yield more than 

 a tea-cupful of honey, which has a rather acid taste, and is only 

 used for medicinal purposes. Their combs are generally about 

 four or five inches in circumference, and the cells partially filled 



