Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 26.djvu/826

806 Syrian queens (Palestine strain), crossed with the Italian drones, will presently prove to be our very best bees—combining more good points than any other existing variety. Doubtless, however, the bee of the future will be greatly superior to anything we have at present. For purposes of experimentation in developing such, we have now in America several of the best varieties in existence under domestication. By judicious crossing, in accordance with the well-known laws of variation and heredity, such a result is quite certain. The vast improvement made in this way among our domestic animals, within less than half a century, fully warrants the conclusion that, in the evolution of things so palpable everywhere, we may in the case of our bees subsidize and utilize the same ever-acting law of progress.

Following the Syrians, and genealogically closely allied to them, we have the Cyprians, though not yet widely diffused. They resemble the Italians, of which they are supposed to be the progenitors. The Cyprian bees have some good points, and one very bad point. They are famous for their fecundity, but equally infamous for their ferocity, being maliciously expert in using very pointed stings. This variety (unless in this inspiriting western atmosphere it acquires more amiability) is not likely to become popular, notwithstanding the marvelous fecundity of the queens. It may be possible, by crossing with some bee of good disposition, to mollify their bad tempers and retain their good qualities.

Of the remaining varieties of the honey-bee, and sub-varieties, including hybrids, little is practically known in this country, with the exception of one or two strains of the latter. The "hybrids," resulting from a cross between the Italian queen and the German drone, are well known in Canada and the United States, and, next to the pure Germans and Italians, are perhaps most numerous. These hybrids have excellent qualities: they make superb comb; are active and energetic; and I have observed stand the rigor of our Canadian winters much better than the pure Italians; but they are much less amiable.

A properly constituted colony of bees consists of three different kinds, viz.: an impregnated queen (the fully developed female); drones (the males); and workers (undeveloped females). The queen (absurdly called the "king-bee" from the time of Aristotle and even Virgil down to Huber) is the mother of the whole colony, and is capable of laying over three thousand eggs per day! During the height of the breeding-season in the honey-flow, she frequently lays from two to three thousand eggs per day for man)'-consecutive days together. She remains prolific for from two to four years, and in some instances queens have been known to remain prolific upward of five years. Before the queen-bee of a colony becomes quite barren, and while she is still laying, if not removed by the apiarist, the workers themselves supersede her, by killing her and rearing a young