THK AUSTRALIAN BEE KEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
II 
rat<», since the introduction into South Aus- 
tralia of Cyprian bees, direct from Cyprus, by 
certain enterprising beemastcrs there, Mr. 
Fiebig has had an opportunity of learning 
something more about them, and when he saw 
them manipulated without the use of veils, 
and with but little smoke, nothing else, saw- 
how exceedingly quiet they were, he was 
surely not a little staggered, and had, in order 
j to sustain his previous statements, to seek 
i about for some prop. He found it in the 
absurd, I almost believe maliciously intended, 
statement that “ the bees imported into South 
Australia from Cyprus, are not pure Cyprians, 
but have been crossed with Italians." Be it 
known (1st) that an Italian bee has never 
been brought to the Island of Cyprus, and 
none but pure Cyprian bees exist there. (2nd) 
Previous to 18S0 two Italians, queen breeders, 
bad imported Cyprian bees, and one of then, 
had even made a journey to Cyprus after 
them. Moreover, I have repeatedly tilled 
orders for Cyprians given mo by queen- 
breeders in Italy and Itnlian-Switzerlnnd, who 
have imported the yellowest and most ener- 
getic of all races — the Cyprians, to give n gold 
color, and infuse greater activity into a race 
that is gradually losing its foothold. Again, 
I may add that a Greek priest of Cyprus, to 
whom I had given some instruction in bee- 
keeping, once wrote me to bring him an 
Italian queen. However, I did not comply 
with his request, but after my ai rival there, 
convinced him of the folly of introducing 
Italians to adulterate the pure blood of the 
valuable race of Cyprus. Ami 1 now hope 
Mr. Fiubig will see the lameness of his plea, 
and, instead of seeking to justify his former 
position will admit himself mistaken for 
ones-. 1 am sure, if he belonged to the Anglo- 
Saxon race, he would feel that an honorable 
and, under the circumstances, a very wise 
thing to do. 
Let us examine a few more of Mr. Fiebig’* 
Statements. Uc Rays “ that Palestine bees 
and Syrian bees are rariWtra only of the 
Cyprians!’’ Palestine* resemble Egyptian* 
more than nnv other race, yet form in some 
respects a link between Egyptians and 
8yri*n* the latter serving to connect Pales- 
tine* and Cyprians. All the Eastern race* 
have some points of resemblance, one with 
another; yet 1 think think their qualities are 
sufficiently distinct to enable one to classify 
the bees of Cyprus ss one race, those of Syria 
a* another, Ac. 
Mr. Kiebig *ay*; ” Cyprians are to be found 
in Southern France, Sicily, Caucasus, and the 
islamls and capes of Asin Minor.’’ Absurd ! 
Thu !*■*»* of Southern France belong to the 
Common hlAck race, but are rather greyish in 
type ; those of Sicily are hybrid Italians ; the 
race of Caucasus is yellow, yet less constant 
than the Cyprians, and I cannot believe ns 
energetic ; while their difference in for m. 
markings and temperament , are sufficient to 
rank them apart from Cyprian* ; the bees of 
Asia Minor are very irregularly banded with 
yellow, and do not in any respect equal the 
Cyprians as an established race, nor resemble 
them greatly. On the island of Scio, near 
Smyrna, I saw bees having sometimes one 
rusty-red, or again, a dirty white band, and at 
other times two such bands, the second one 
indistinct These workers were rather large, 
and the general color of the body was greyish- 
black, so that though far from Greece and 
near to Asia Minor, they do not resemble the 
bees of the last-mentioned region j but rather 
the famous Hymettus or Attic bees, such as I 
found ranging on the wild thyme, still luxuri- 
ating on those classic soils. 
Finally, Mr. Fiubig says: “ Cyprians were 
imported from Cyprus about fifteen years ago 
by Count Kolowrat.” While thi> is true ns 
far as it goes, it only needs an addition, but it 
is likely to lead to an incorrect inference. In 
1H72, Count Kolowrat -Krakow sky, and Mr. 
Ed. Cori, of Bohemia, imported Cyprians, and 
from this importation the first queens were 
bred and sent out. But “honor to whom 
honor is due.” The first Cyprian bees landed 
in Europe were import ed in IttNti by Mr. Cori 
alone, who fqr many years previously had 
been experimenting with all known races he 
could procure, and from his experiments with, 
and observations on Egyptians, Smyroians, 
and other races, had come to believe a race 
superior to any of those at out it. would Ire 
found upon some isolated middle-point of the 
Eastern Meditei ranean . and actually found 
that race in Cyprus — where the Goddess of 
Beauty, born of the sea-foam, once held sway. 
Cyprus, now deserted and lonely, but which 
wns once the meeting-place for all that was 
beautiful of the known world, which, as 
Chancellor Cori has said: "blossomed in tho 
grey, ancient time, through great feitility 
anti wonderfully rich culture.” 
Lanarca Cyprus. Frank Benton. 
— ♦ — 
THE PAST SEASON IN NEW ZEALAND. 
No. — I am glad to learn that you have 
decided to continue the Journal, und I 
sincerely hope those in whose interest it is 
published will duly consider the matter, and 
afford you that support you have a right to 
look for, ami which it will be to their gain to 
give you. Please keep me on your li»t of 
subscrilier*. 
I shall have pleasure in forwarding you from 
time to time, notes on 1 eckecping matt r* from 
this part of New Zealand, and keep you po*t**d 
on bee matter* generally in this colony. 
Our last season generally, throughout 
New Zealand, proved a very poor ot.e for honey, 
and in many cases a disastrous one for bee*. 
The bpring opened out very promising, the 
vegetation was in a more forward state at 
the beginning of October than I bad seen it 
for many years ; the clover blossomed grandly. 
