Hi Peter

You quoted...

 > these blacks with about one band to show trace of Italian blood are
 > the wickedest bees to sting that can well be imagined, being very
 > much more vindictive than either race in its purity

It does not matter which way round the impurity arrives, it has the same 
result. Wrapped up in the quote is an important point, that any race, 
whatever it may be, in a pure and stable state tends to be docile.

 > they also have a very disagreeable way of tumbling off the combs in
 > a perfectly demoralized state whenever the hive is opened

There are degrees of this behaviour that we rate separately these days...
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/running.html
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/jumping.html
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/cwc.html

Of these we only accept cool air clustering as typical of AMM and select 
heavily against running and jumping.

 > making a general uproar when they are compelled by smoke to be decent.

Smoke is hardly needed with good examples of AMM and indeed if you use 
it you may upset them rather than calm them.

There was a paragraph about wax moth and rather than quote it, I should 
just say I believe Italians may have an edge over AMM in waxmoth 
resistance, because I think this is to do with sheer numbers of bees in 
the box rather than the race of bee.

Continuing to part II

 > They possess longer tongues and so can gather from
 > flowers which are useless to the black bee.

This is true in the simplistic sense, but the tongue of AMM is able to 
gain nectar from an adequate number of sources otherwise they too would 
have developed a longer tongue, they have had more evolutionary years to 
adapt so if it were an important selection pressure it would have occurred.

 > They are more active and with the same opportunities
 > will collect a good deal more honey.

This I find very difficult to understand, simple observation at the hive 
entrance (an enjoyable chore at any time) will refute that statement.

 > They work earlier and later. This is not only true of the
 > day but of the season.

Again untrue and by a very large margin, so much so that we can use it 
for discrimination in matings, leaving our AMM queen raising later so 
that no Italians are flying.

 > They are far better to protect their hives against robbers.
 > Robbers that attempt to plunder Italians of their hard
 > earned stores

Probably correct, but because they are inveterate robbers themselves, 
this is another point that diminishes in any race with an increase in 
purity.


Regards & Best 73s, Dave Cushman, G8MZY
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman or http://www.dave-cushman.net
Short FallBack M/c, Build 6.02/3.1 (stable)

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