RAISING AND INTRODUCTION OF QUEENS. 315 
accomplished ; but the point now before us is : What 
are the peculiarities that we require in our bees ? 
All are agreed as to the desirability of great fecundity ; 
stamina and longevity ; gentleness and adherence to 
the comb under manipulation ; great honey-gathering 
capability ; an indisposition to swarm ; good wintering 
qualities ; good comb-building ; solid and impervious 
sealing to honey ; and a compactly kept brood- 
nest. But there are other points, which are of 
relative rather than absolute importance, such as 
purity of race, colour, and markings, both of queen 
and workers ; and, lastly, size. It is clear that some of 
the first are mutually dependent ; <?.^., fecundity and 
honey-gathering capabilities are inseparably connected, 
and longevity and wintering qualities go, necessarily, 
hand in hand. The special characteristics of the races, 
as such, will be treated of hereafter, while the question 
of hybrids or pure stock, and that of colour, must be 
settled by individual circumstances and tastes ; although 
the latter has a practical application, in that light-toned 
queens are far more easily seen than are those that 
are dark. 
The last point (size) is one upon which great mis- 
apprehension abounds. The idea that it is desirable 
to increase the dimensions of our bees is all but 
universal, and, since I have ventured, more than once, 
to stand alone in condemning it, I must give my 
reasons for so doing. Apis dorsata has been hunted 
up, although it is known to be a useless savage, 
simply because it is big, and that by the very persons 
who claim that the smaller hive bees are the best, 
in that they give their vote generally to the yellow 
