318 
THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 
CHAPTER XIX. 
THE ITALIAN HONEY-BEE. 
Aristotie speaks of three different species of the honey¬ 
bee, as well known in his time. The best variety he des¬ 
cribes as “ fiixpa, xai iroixiXrj”—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 alias, ct fulgore coruscant, 
Ardentcs auro, et paribus iita corpora guttis. 
Haec potior soboles; hinc cceli tempore certo 
Dulcia mella premes.” 
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 
species, by some of the most skillful and successful Apia¬ 
rians in Europe: 
“York, Pa., August 5, 18 6. 
“ My Dear Sir : —The first account we have of the Italian 
bees, as a distinct race or variety, is that given by Capt. Baldcn- 
stein, in the Menenzcitung, 1848, p. 26.* Being stationed in 
* The Bov. E. W. Glbnan, of Bangor Maine, has recently directed my attention 
to Spinola's “Irmectorum Liguria xper.ieft nova aut rariorev from which It 
appears, that Splnola accurately described all the peculiarities of this boo, which ho 
round In Piedmont, In 1S05. He fully Identified it with the bee described by Aris¬ 
totle, and calls It the Ligurian Bee, a r.aino now very generally adopted In 
Europe 
