318 
THE niVE AND HONEY-BEE. 
CHAPTER XIX. 
THE ITALIAN HONEY-BEE. 
Aristotle speaks of three different species of the honey- 
bee, as well known in his time. The best variety he des- 
cribes as “(juxpd., jTpoyyuXi} xai iroixiAij” — that is, small and 
round in size and shape, and variegated in color. 
Virgil ( Georgicon , lib. IV., 98) speaks of two kinds as 
flourishing in his time; the better of the two, he thus 
describes : 
Elucent alia}, et fulgorc coruscant, 
Ardeutcs auro, et paribus lita corpora guttis. 
Hsec potior sobolcs ; hiuc cooli tempore eerto 
Dulcia mella prernes.” 
The better variety, it will be seen, he characterizes as 
spotted or variegated, and of a beautiful golden color. 
The attention of bee-keepers has recently been called to 
this variety of the honey-bee, which, after the lapse of 
more than two thousand years, still exists distinct and 
pure from the common kind. The following letter from 
Mr. Wagner will show the importance attached to this 
6pecies, by some of the most skillful and successful Apia- 
rians in Europe : 
“York, Pa., August 5, 18"6. 
“MyDkar Sir: — Tho first account we have of the Italian 
bees, as a distinct race or variety, is that given by Capt. Balden-' 
slein, in the Bienenzeitung , 1848, p. 26.* Being stationed in 
* Thu Rov. E. W. Gilman, of Bangor Maine, has recently directed my attention 
to Splnola’s ^ Tmectorum Hgurim species noon nut rariores from which It 
appears, that Splnoln accurately described all tho peculiarities of this boo, which ho 
found In Piedmont, In 1805. Ho fully Identified It with tho boo described by Aris- 
totle, and calls It tho Ligurian Bee , a name now very generally adopted In 
Europo 
