RACES. 
6ll 
Gaytoni (page 569), these hairs drop, the colour of the 
plates is fully seen, and hence the name “ black ” bees 
is then given. These hairs are present in the Italian, 
and, as before, on the second, third, fourth, and fifth 
abdominal rings, but are lighter and yellower ; while the 
first three rings are themselves in large part a trans- 
parent, tawny yellow — transparent, as may be seen by 
allowing a bee to fly on the window-pane. The first 
abdominal ring on the dorsal side mainly faces the 
thorax, and may be missed by careless observation ; its 
lower edge only is black. The upper two-thirds of the 
second is vellow, the upper third smooth and hairless, 
because this passes beneath the ring above it when the 
body is contracted. A band of yellow hair covers the 
second third, and adds much to the beauty of the bee, 
as hairs and ground are alike yellow. The lower third 
of the ring is glossy black, carrying many microscopic 
hairs, and a minute fringe. The third ring resembles 
the second, while the fourth and fifth carry yellowish 
hairs, but are black. The sixth ring, black also, is 
nearly hairless. 
These are the characteristics which mark off “ three- 
banded Italians ” from hybrids, which, amidst much 
variety, only in a few instances carry the three 
bands, although the second abdominal ring is usually 
well marked ; but, amongst the first cross even, we 
find some that are only slightly removed from the 
pure black, showing touches of yellow near the ends 
of the first dorsal plate, though the drones, of course, 
retain the appearance of the pure Italian. Many 
unported Italians do not fully exhibit the yellow of 
the third abdominal ring, and so it has been pretty 
2 R 2 
