10 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
in Cyprus, and, though I have since resided 
in Syria, Greece, and Germany, Cyprus has 
been revisited many times. “The Cyprus 
Apiary” has been kept in existence during the 
whole time, and I have continued the cultiva- 
tion of Cyprians iu Europe. Moreover, from 
almost every country in the world where 
modern methods in beekeeping have obtained, 
I have reports of the Cyprians that have been 
sent there. Considering the above, every 
reasonable person will surely be ready to 
admit that my opinions are deserving of at 
least as much consideration as Mr. Eiebig’s, he 
having for the greater part obtained his 
through observations made while keeping 
bees in Germany, where, unfortunately, there 
are very few beemasters who are capable of 
breeding for any length of time, any race in 
its purity. I am aware that the high reputa- 
tion given German beemasters by many 
writers, who know more of them from hearsay 
than iu any other way, ill accords with the 
statement I have made above ; but neverthe- 
less, I only state a fact of which travel and 
residence in Germany during several years, as 
well as perusal of the leading German bee 
journals, has convinced me. Proofs enough 
might be brought forward to sustain what I 
have stated ; but I will cite a single one, so 
striking that, of itself, without bringing for- 
ward a thousand others, it might serve to 
prove the point. Not long ago I attended one 
of the great gatherings of German and 
Austrian beekeepers, known as “ Wanderver- 
sammlung,” which is supposed to unite in 
itself the most advanced and correct ideas of 
the two Empires, and where Dzierzon, Vogel, 
Gunther, D itlie, and other “great lights” 
always preside. One of the exhibitors was a 
breeder of Cyprian queens, and had on exhibi- 
tion a nucleus, headed by a queen which, he 
claimed, by a certain process which insured 
her mating with selected drones, was, though 
bred in Europe, purely mated. And as pure 
bees this nucleus was entered for competition, 
and received a State medal ! Yet they were 
miserable hybrids, with scarce a trace of 
Cyprian blood about them ! I do not think 
there was any favoritism about the matter. 
The breeder was not present, and I do not 
think be knows the judges personally, though 
they are, at least two of them, prominent in 
bee-circles, and their articles grace the columns 
of the Eichstiidter Bienenzeitung . Three years 
before the time of this exhibition, the breeder 
in question had obtained from me in Cyprus, 
where only Cyprian bees exist, a pure queen, 
and 1 quite believe that even to this day, he 
thinks he is supplying pure Cyprian gueens, 
and therefore makes the announcement he 
does in recent German bee journals. 
That Mr. Eiebig has only seen such bees 
as those referred to above, is evident from his 
description of them. He says : “ They are in 
size about the same as the North Germans 
and Italians, appear to be somewhat more 
powerful.” Pure Cyprians are decidedly 
smaller-bodied than any race of bees found in 
Europe. Their bodies are slender, gracefully 
pointed, wings large, and movements very 
brisk as compared with the most active 
Italians. They are strong in flight as well as 
quick, the high, sweeping winds of Cyprus 
having caused their wings to develop greatly. 
Add to this a vital energy, equalled by no 
European race, and we have in the Cyprians a 
race whose individuals invariably come off 
victorious when having no worse enemy than 
the most active of European bees. Cyprians 
j cannot be robbed by other bee3. I have seen 
the workers dart into the air a foot to drive 
! robbers away that were hovering no nearer 
their hive entrance than that. Woe betide 
the luckless Italian or German colony that 
Cyprians take it into their heads to rob ! 
Mr. Fiebig says : “ Their color is similar to 
the best Italians, and their breast is also of a 
yellow tinge.” He would have done well to 
have said : The best Italians approach — a 
tong way behind, the Cyprians in color. The 
latter are the yellowest bees known. Besides 
three bright yellow bands, wbicb with Italians 
are not always present, or, if present are 
often dark copper or leather-colored,, the 
Cyprians have a bright orange-yellow hmule 
on the thorax between the wings, the under 
side of the abdomen is bright yellow, nearly 
out to the tip, and in general the body is 
covered with a brownish or nearly golden- 
colored fur, instead of “ yellow and white,” 
as mentioned in Mr Fiebig’s paper. 
“ Their inclination to swarm,” says Mr. 
Fiebig, “ exceeds that of the Heath bee and 
the Carniolans.” No more incorrect state- 
ment is to be found in the paper. Even in 
Australia, where ordinary bees, say nothing 
of those great sw armors, the Heath bees, over- 
swarm often, the Cyprians have given no 
trouble on this score. 
Let Mr. Fiebig get pure Cyprians thoroughly 
aroused once if he believes “ their rage when 
stinging is not so great as that of the Italians.” 
A score of them will show more energy with 
their wrath and business-ends than he ever 
saw a whole swarm of sleepy Italians, or 
blacks. But on the other hand, properly 
managed, no bees remain so quiet on the 
combs, and need so little intimidating. Mr. 
Fiebig, when he says that, “ at an Exhibition 
of the German Genei'al Beekeepers’ Associa- 
tion, several colonies of Cyprians were on 
view, and it was impossible for him to open a 
single hive without instantly having face and 
hands full of stings.” When he says this, I 
repeat, he admits that he is, or was then, a 
fearful blunderer with bees, or else he must 
be excused on the ground that he had had no 
opportunity of learning how Cyprians are to 
he manipulated with the utmost safety and 
ease ; or again, he may have had hybrids with 
scarce a trace of Cyprian blood about them — 
such as I saw at one of these shows. At any 
