318 
THE niVE AND HONET-BEE. 
CHAPTER XIX. 
THE ITALIAN HONET-BEE. 
ARisTori.E speaks of three different species of the honey¬ 
bee, as well known in his time. The best variety he des¬ 
cribes as ‘‘ p-txpa., xai '7i'o(x»XiJ’*—that is, small and 
round in size and shape, and variegated in color. 
Virgil {Georgicon, lib. TV., 98) speaks of two kinds iis 
flourishing in his time; the better of the two, he thus 
describes: 
Elucent alise, et fulgore coruacaut, 
Ardentcs auro, et paribus lita corpora guttis. 
HaJC potior soboles ; hino coeli tempore certo 
Dulcia mella premea." 
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 
tills 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 
lilr. Wagner will show the importance attached to this 
species, by some of the most skillful and successful Apia- 
riaus in Europe: 
“York, Pa., August 5, 18 6. 
“My Dear Sir: —Tho first accimnt we have of the Italiau 
bees, as a distinct race or variety, is that given by Capt. Balden- 
stein, in the Bimcnzcilung, 1848, p. 26.# Being stationed in 
• The Eov. E. W. Gilman, of Bangor Maine, hoa recently dlrootoil my attention 
to Splnola’8“/M<o<orun» apm-les novm nut rariorM," from which It 
appears, that Splnola accurately described all tho pooullarltlosof this bee, which he 
foun I In Piedmont, In 1S05. lie flilly IdcntlBed It with the bee described by Aris¬ 
totle, and colls It tho Ugurian Bee, a name now very generally adopted in 
Kuruiiu 
