Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 February 1886 — The Bees of South America. [ARTICLE]

The Bees of South America.

In an old book Ire are told of a little black bee, found in the Island of Guadaloup, which lives in hollow trees ■ or the cavities of rocks by the seaside, and lays up honey in cells about the size and shape of pigeon eggs. These cells are black or deep deep violet color, and so joined together as to leave no Bpace between them. The following are mentioned by Lindley as indigenous to Brazil; “On an exeusion toward upper Topogippa, and skirting the dreary woods which extend to the interior, I observed the trees more loaded with bees’ nests than ever in the neighborhood of Port Lequro. They consist of a ponderous shell of clay, cemented to the martin’s nest, swelling from high trees about a foot thick, and diameter; when broken the wax is arranged as in our hives, and the honey is abundant.” Capt. B. Hall found in South America the hive of a honey bee very different from the Brazilian, but nearly allied to, if not the same as that of Guadaloup. “The hive we saw opened,” says he, “was only partially filled, which enabled us to see the economy 'of the interior to more advantage. The honey is not contained in the elegant hexagonal cells. of the hives, but in waxen bags not so large as an egg. These bags or bladders are hung around the sides of the hive and appear about half full, the quantity being probably just as great as the strength of the wax will bear without tearing. Those near the bottom being better supported are more filled than the upper ones. In the center of the lower part of the hive we obgerve an irregular-shaped mass of comb, furnished with cells like those of our bees, all containing young ones in such an advanced state that when we broke the comb and Ifet them out they flew merrily ' ■