Appendix. 103 
duced into Germany, France, and even into America. 
Dzierzon, the father of rational apiculture, contributed 
much to their introduction into Germany; and it seems 
that they are kept very generally in German Switzer- 
land, to judge from the exhibition at Weinfelden, 
where, out of thirty or more stocks which were ex- 
hibited, two only consisted of ordinary bees. 
A queen with a few bees, sent by post, during the 
months of March, April, May, or June, is sufficient to 
produce a pure-bred colony of Italians from which 
a cross with the common bees may easily be obtained. 
It often happens that, by means of crossing, a hive 
of common bees becomes completely Italianized ; and 
if, as is sometimes the case, the Italian bees lose 
their colour, they nevertheless retain their character- 
istic properties. 
Are these Italians preferable to the common bees ? 
This is a question which is often asked. 
Although for many years German bee-keepers have 
with reason answered this question in the affirmative, 
some French bee-keepers, such as M. Hamet and 
more especially the Abbe Collin, considered it, only 
two years ago, a matter of doubt whether this is the 
case. 
As to myself, I have already, on a former occasion, 
given my solution of the question. But seeing that 
such bee-masters as MM. Hamet and Collin have 
raised doubts on the point, I have thought it right 
to pursue my observations more carefully, and this 
has resulted in my pronouncing without any hesi- 
