Joel Govostes wrote    <<<<If you want to find out more about the British 
native bees, look for the
BIBBA *British Isles Bee Breeders Assn.* home page.  There is a great deal
of related information there.  One of the founders of the BIBBA (can't
remember the name, & now deceased) recently wrote a fascinating book called
HONEYBEES OF THE BRITISH ISLES.>>>>>>
The man in question was Beowulf Cooper, a government entomologist and
enthusiastic beekeeper.  He died suddenly from a heart attack in 1982 and 
the book mentioned above was compiled after his death by a Mr Philip
Denwood from the mass of material he left behind.  In 1964, after meeting 
with several leading beekeepers he formed the Village Bee Breeders
Association, whose object was "the conservation, restoration, study,
selection and improvement of strains of honeybees of native or near-native
type suitable for Britain and Ireland.  In 1972 the name was changed to the
British Isles Bee Breeders Association.  Although the book was written for
British beekeepers it contains much of value to beekeepers everywhere,
genetics, breeding and management in general.           Sid P.