THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
the hive and found eggs and larvae in the 
cells. At first I supposed this to be the 
result of a fertile worker, but it was not, fm I 
soon discovered a beautiful young 
queen in the hive, but how she got there I do 
not know. But as I rear a great number ot 
queens this season it is possible that a young 
queen after taking her wedding trip, went 
into the wrong hive, and as the queen of ti e 
hive was then caged the stranger was well 
received. 
There is just another very practical obser- 
vation I only made to-day, and it is this : It 
frequently happens whtui nucieus-makuig s 
carried on to a considerable extent that the 
bees leave their artificially-made home and 
return to the parent hive, and thus the bio d 
gets chilled, and if this is not soon discovered 
by the apiarist it gets so bad that the combs 
are unfit for further use. It often occurred to 
me, and I was at times perplexed how to clean 
these combs. Only last night I left one such 
frame full of brood' dead in the cells exposed 
in my garden, and in the morning I found the 
side which was exposed perfectly clean and 
not a single cell destroyed. Now, who cleaned 
it is the question ? It was the otherwise much 
persecuted depredator of the feathery tribe 
“ Mr. Sparrow.” H . NAYEAU. 
Hamilton, 3rd November. 
To the Editor of the Beekeepen’ Journal. 
S IE —It would be very interesting as well 
as useful, if you could prevail upon bee- 
keepers’ in Australia to observe what plants 
(native or otherwise) are much visited by 
bees and to communicate their observations 
to the Beekeepers' Journal. The observation 
should show whether bees took pollen or 
honey, or both, from any particular plant, 
the month in which they were found to 
visit the plant, and also whether the bees 
were the common, Italian, or hybrid either a 
common or the botanical name ot the plant 
should be also given. 
in that very valuable little work by Baron 
Von Mueller, K.M.G., “ Extra Tropical Plants 
for Economic Culture,” the author gives at the 
end, page 36H, a list of Genera of the principal 
honey-bearing, or bee plants, as folio vs. 
“ Acacia, Agave (aloe,) Brassica (cabbage 
tribe,) Citrus (orange and lemon,) Eucalyptus, 
Eucry phia, Helianthus (sun flower,) Lavetidula 
(lavender,) Medicago (lucerne,) Melianthus 
(honey flower,) Melissa (balm plant,) Mentha 
(mint,) Origanum (marjoram,) Rosa (the rose 
tribe,) Rosinariums (rosemary,) Salvia (sage,) 
Thymus (thyme,) Tilia (the lime or linden 
tree and bass wood of America,) Trifolium 
Viola 
(clovers,) Tropreolum (nasturtium,) 
(violets, pansies,” &c.) 
I have carefully noted the last two seasons 
plants that were freely visited by bees, but 
only in one or two instances have I seen 
plants visited by Italian bees only, and those 
plants were the Red Dutch Clover and one 
of the deep-flowered Veronicas, the specific 
name of which I have not yet ascertained. 
All the veronicas are favourites with the bees 
in autumn, and they yield a good deal of 
honey. The much despised Cape Weed 
(Cryptostemma Calendulaceum,) furnishes an 
immense pollen supply, and bees come home 
literally bathed in it. This harvest comes 
just at the time when most required, that is, 
a little before and at first swarming time. 
The Watsonias give a rich supply of pollen 
of a deep orange red colour, and the bees 
take this very eagerly. 
Nearly all the polygalas (milkworts) supply 
both honey and pollen, and that handsome 
shrub, Podylaria Styracifolia, is alive with 
bees on mornings in September and October. 
This plant, however, is surpassed both in its 
honey yielding qualities and its attractiveness 
to our friends by the well-known bee plant, 
a Viper’s Bugloss,” or Echium Candicans, of 
which every beekeeper should have as much 
as he can. , , 
Contrary to my expectations, I found that 
the ordinary Pittosporum (P.Undulatum,) was 
but sparingly visited this season. The dark 
purple blossom of the Pittosporum Nigrum, 
however, appeared to be an immense favourite, 
with the Italians especially, and I think it 
was for honey they visited them. 
The Cistus (rock rose) appears to be a 
great favourite in October and November, 
and yields both pollen (in plenty) and honey. 
The scarlet bottle brushes (Callistemon spe- 
ciosum and regidum) are splendid bee plants, 
and supply both pollen and honey, but the 
latter most abundantly. I hey continue in 
blossom for a considerable time, commencing 
in November. 
Of course it is unnecessary to refer to the 
well-known bee plants of our gardens, such 
as corn flowers, wallflower, mignonette, cab- 
bage, and turnip blossom, and nearly all fruit 
blossoms, although it would be of interest to 
ascertain if these are of the same value to 
bees as they are in other climates. 
The now common ornamental tree, known 
as the pepper tree (schinus molle,) seems also 
to be a great favourite, and the hum around 
one of these on a fine morning is evidence 
enough of the fact ; but whether it yields 
pollen or honey or both, I have not yet 
satisfied myself.— I remain, yours, 
SIGMA. 
