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THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
somewhat anomalous form. Its mid-body is 
short, ring-shaped, and almost merged into an 
ovoid five-jointed hind body. The six legs are 
all stout, with the usual number of articula- 
tions, and these latter are succeeded by six- 
jointed tassi, the terminal joint being very 
broad. In place of claws or pulvilli, as in 
other Diptera, these enlarged joints end in a 
comb-like fringe of many teeth. These combs, 
as also the curved spines of the mouth organs 
and of the spiracles, or breathing pores, of 
the mid-body, enable this parasite to cling 
pertinaciously to the hairy body of the bee 
which supports it, and on whose juices it 
subsists, it being a true body-parasite. The 
survival of the progeny of Ursula is secured 
by a remarkable habit, shared by it in common 
with a few other insects — that of producing 
its single offspring far advanced towards 
maturity. The metamorphoses of the young 
parasite are undergone within its mother, 
which gives birth to not an egg, not a larva 
as the product of an egg, but to what in other 
insects is named a chrysalis, and amongst 
Diptera a pupa. This pupa is fastened to the 
hairs of the bee, and quickly “hatches” 
amongst them. Sometimes only a single 
Uraula is found on a bee, but oftentimes as 
many as eight. 
The history of the parasite is somewhat 
interesting. For a long time since its first 
notice by Nitzsch in 1818, it has been reported 
as being restricted to Italian bees, but of late 
years it has established itself both in Germany 
and in England. Packard, who has especially 
investigated the insect diseases of the honey- 
bee, writing in 1883, stated that it had not 
been detected (as an insect which had estab- 
lished itself) in the United States, and Mr. A. 
L. Root wrote in 1877 that he had never seen 
it there except “on bees just imported from 
Italy.” Many have stated that Braula restricts 
its attention to the Italian queen-bee, but 
although this assertion is incorrect there can 
be no doubt that the introduction of Italian bees 
is accountable for the occurrence of this pest 
far from its original home, and that when it is 
once acclimated anywhere it has no particular 
predilection for this variety of domesticated 
honey-bee. As to the significance of the 
occurrence of Braula amongst bees, Mr. J. 
Fedarb, an English authority, writing from 
close personal experience, has remarked that 
“where Braula does exist its effects are but 
too apparent, for the restless and excited state 
of the colony is such as to interfere with the 
industrial habits of the insects, and so to lessen 
the quantity of honey produced as to render 
the entire stock unprofitable. ’ 
Of the diseases to which bees are subject, 
no doubt this one is the worst of its class, and 
comparable in this respect to the one of fungoid 
origin — faux couvain, or what perhaps is better 
known as “ foul brood.” From my not having 
known of the existence of Braula amongst 
Queensland bees previously, either by obser- 
vation or report, no doubt it is not generally 
met with here ; and Mr. R. J. Cribb, without 
troubling himself as to how it got amongst his 
bees, will thus perhaps be able to define the 
limits of its occurrence, and so keep the pest 
within bounds. Further, in the interests of 
apiarists he might even do more than this, and 
rid his apiary of it. He might adopt the plan 
recommended in the “ A B (J of Bee Culture” 
for the extirpation of “ foul brood ” — namely, 
the destruction of both affected bees and hives 
by fire or burying, and the exercise of the 
utmost diligence in guarding against the 
parasites being transmitted to other localities, 
by selling either bees or queens. Bee mites, 
much smaller “insects,” such ns are occasionally 
met with on domesticated bees in Queensland, 
are not to be confounded with Braula, compared 
with which they are harmless insects. — 
Queenslander. 
The Italian Apiary, Queensland. 
About a mile or two from that well-known 
small patch of cleared land on the main road 
to the Logan, pretentiously denominated the 
Eight-mile Plains, is the apiary of Messrs. 
A. B. Edman and Co., and which they have 
named the Italian Apiary 7 , Eight-mile Plains. 
It is situated in the midst of the dense bush 
such as grow's on the light soils to the south 
of Brisbane. But this light- land vegetation 
is the very 7 locality to choose for beekeeping 
on a large scale, for upon it there grows a far 
greater variety of flowering shrubs and trees 
than upon rich black or chocolate soil. On 
these light soils there really seems to be no 
time of the year at which there is no honey 
to be got ; although the bees may not be able 
to store any surplus, still they can collect 
enough to keep the colony healthy ; and it 
was for this reason that Mr. Edman chose the 
secluded spot he is settled upon for the pur- 
pose of forming an apiary. Whether bee- 
keeping upon a somewhat extensive scale can 
be make successful when the apiary is situated 
upon true Downs country, or upon the exten- 
sive inland plains of this colony, I have not 
yet heard. A few hives can be kept any- 
where, but I am doubtful if 100 and over 
could find sustenance in a purely grassy 
country. On farming lands such as the 
Darling Downs much honey can sometimes be 
gathered, for lucerne is a good honey plant 
and so is that weed stachys arveniis now so 
common on cultivated fields, and which the 
farmers assert causes staggers in their horses. 
Again, many of the indigenous herbs, such as 
