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or even more prolific breeders may be obtained by so 
crossing them, if the mother has somewhat degenerated. 
A queen fertilized by a black drone, produces pure 
Italian drones, but the workers are a mixture of both 
varieties, yet not. uniform ; some are almost Italian, 
some almost of the black species, and others still are 
more or less of either species. The assertion, however, 
that some workers will be pure Italians and some others 
pure black bees is not correct ; if examined closely, it 
will be seen that they are not quite pure. 
The worker bees, if produced by a pure queen ferti- 
lized by a pure Italian drone, have the upper half of 
three abdominal rings of a bright yellow color ; the 
segment joining the abdomen to the thoraz being the 
first. When young, the body is covered with a delicate 
coat of hair, giving the entire body a light appearance; 
when older this hair begins to wear off, and the bee 
attains a glossy black appearance. In making examina- 
tions as to the marks of the workers, only the young 
bees should be examined ; the older ones, after they 
become glossy, are deceptive, and frequently bees from 
other colonies join. When filled with honey, or ex- 
tremely extended from other causes, some workers occa- 
sionally show even a part of their fourth abdominal 
ring slightly marked. Among others I raised two 
queens last summer, which produced workers having 
the fourth ring, (on the sides only), marked as broad as 
