RACES. 
617 
the curious habit of this bee in building extraordinary 
numbers of queen-cells. Each comb in the hive was 
surrounded — below and on the sides — by a double 
row of these cells ; and each section-box was similarly 
furnished. The stock threw seven swarms; from the 
first, twenty-one queens were found killed, and ninety 
queens were found free in the hive, the cells show- 
ing that 170 queens had been raised. The Cyprians 
exhibit the same peculiarity, in a less degree. The 
Syrians also develop fertile workers, quite usually, 
during an interregnum ; but the difficulty is less than 
with other races, since the fertile workers do not 
interfere with the raising or introduction of a queen, 
and when the latter begins to lay they subside. 
In order to see the full beauty of Syrians or 
Cyprians, or, indeed, any yellow race, the comb 
must not be removed from the hive, for the wings 
then reflect the blue tints of the sky, and break up 
the yellow colour. Separate the combs widely, and 
look down between them. 
Carniolan or Hungarian bees are universally recog- 
nised as extremely gentle ; they do not seem to be 
specifically distinct from mellijica^^ although the varia- 
tion is well marked. The form is like to that of our 
native bee, yet somewhat larger, and more robust. 
Its hue is dark greyish - black, frequently showing 
two indefinite, orange spots near the extremity of the 
first dorsal plate of the abdomen. The most con- 
spicuous distinctive feature, which gives it a quiet 
beauty, lies in the four rows of pubescent hair, which 
* There are several varieties of mellifica, some being useless : heath 
bees, by example. 
