February i, 1890.] Supplement to the "Tropical Agriculturist." 
589 
BEE CULTUEE. II. 
By Aba. 
The name Bee is given to a large number of insects 
of the order Eymenoptera. The female insect is 
nsually furnished with a sting in place of the ovi- 
positor, but a Oeylon specimen the "Kanaveyiya" 
is stingless. 
In the perfect state all bees either wholly or partly 
feed upon the sweet juices or honey of flowers, but 
the food in the larval state . is supposed to be the 
pollen of flowers, often called bee-bread, or a mixture 
of it and honey. 
The bee and some other insects play a very im» 
portant part in the economy of nature. When they 
pass from flower to flower in search of honey, they 
become the means of bringing the pollen grains in 
contact with the stigma, and aiding in the fertilisation 
of flowers. 
Bees are found in almost all parts of the world, 
but chiefly in the warmer parts of it. The bee is a 
mandibulate insect, i.e., it is provided with mandibles 
or jaws so that its mouth is adapted for cutting and 
tearing. Some bees use their jaws for cutting out 
holes into the tubes of flowers which are so deep and 
narrow that they cannot otherwise reach the nectar 
at the bottom of the flower. If the reader were to 
pick up a fallen tamarind flower and examine it he will 
be able to see a small hole half way down the tube 
of the flower. This hole has been made by a bee 
who has been in search of honey. Certain parts of 
the mouth of the bee is elongated into a sort of pro- 
boscis to enable it to reach the nectar or honey at 
the bottom of flowers. The proboscis of the bee is 
not tubular and adapted for sucking like the similar 
organ found in the insects of the other great tribe 
the Haustellata. But it is generally more or less hairy, 
so that the honey adheres to it when it is thrust in- 
side a flower. Neither the mouth nor the proboscis is 
employed in the collecting of the pollen or bee-bread 
which the insect carries home to feed its young with. 
The feathered hairs with which the body of the bee 
is clothed serve for gathering the pollen which ad- 
heres to them. 
" The sting of the bee is a very remarkable organ, 
it consists of two long darts, protected by a sheath. A 
venom bag is connected with it, and powerful muscles 
for its propulsion. The darts are each furnished with 
a number of barbs, which render it so difficult to 
withdraw them quickly, that bees often lose their lives 
by the injury which they sustain in the effort. The 
male bee is destitute of the sting." 
(To be continued.) 
♦ 
FINE GKAINS OP CEYLON. 
By W. A. De Silva. 
We have several varieties of fine grain cultivated 
in Cevlon. It is supposed that this was the general 
food of the aborigines, Kioe was introduced to the 
Island after its occupation by the Indian invaders 
who accompanied Wijeyo. The antiquity of this 
grain in India cannot be easily determined. Anyhow, 
we are assured on historical grounds, that its culti- 
vation and use was quite prevalent in that country 
from times far remote. 
We can safely say that the aborigines used only 
these fine grains as their food, which fact is more 
evident, because we see them used even up to the 
present day, by people inhabiting the wild districts of 
the Island. 
The nutritive proper ties of these grains are 
questioned, and some go so far as to say that the vile 
disease Parangi is caused by the constant use of some 
of these grains. 
Without going so far it might be said that they are 
not very seasonable food for persons to be used con- 
stantly. On the other hand if properly cooked and 
eaten with other food some are fairly good substitutes 
for rice. I have heard on good authority that 
kurakkan if used with curd is aa healthy a food as 
rice, and sometimes more nutritious. Pine grain is 
grown very little where there is a sufficient supply of 
water for cultivating paddy, but in districts where 
seasons are uncertain and the rainfall is scanty they 
are grown to a larger extent, and it is wise on the part 
of the goyias to do so, as otherwise, they would run 
short of food and will be put into still harder straits 
than some of them are at present in. 
In some districts of the Island a tithe is levied on 
these products, and this is done where they are exten- 
sively cultivated. In other locallities no tithe is levied, 
but still we find a few patches of land in every 
village set apart for their cultivation. According to the 
data gathered for the Catalogue of the Colindies Exhi- 
bition in Loudon, 1^86, the tithe on fine grain har- 
vested in the Island varies from 50,000 to 60,000 rupees, 
representing a total value of crops of R500,OOQ to 
R600,000. And if we take into account the rest grown 
in patches here and there and not paying any tax, we 
can safely add to the above amount another 400,000 to 
500,00u rupees value of grain, coming to total of 
R1,000,000 worthy of fine grain. 
This amount will appear to be too much for those 
who have not seen how far these fine grains form a 
great part of the food of the people. The growi ng 
and preparation of these grains require more atten- 
tion as they form a great part of the food resources of 
the interior of the Island. It is believed that the 
nutritive qualities of these grains are much deterior- 
ated by the way of preparing them. 
The principal varieties of fine grain generally grown 
in Ceylon are burrakkan (Ellusine Coracana), Tanahal 
(Setaria Italica), Amu. (Paspalum Scrobiculatum), 
Meneri (PanicumMiliace) &c. A description of the dif- 
ferent varieties and their properties will be dealt with 
in another issue. 
♦ 
SPEECHES ON VW7V 
Mr. C!i?fen said tlial he felt he oweil au apology to 
tho ladies present ; but he did not send out the in_ 
