Under these circumstances it is not a matter for surprise when we find that the honey-bee has formed distinct races analogous to those that exist in the case of the domesticated vertebrate animals. The knowledge of these races is, however, at present very little advanced, and is complicated by the fact that only imperfect information exists as to the true species of the genus _Apis_. There is a bee very like our common honey-bee found in southern Europe called _A. ligustica_; this is certainly a variety of _A. mellifica_, and the same remark applies to a bee found in Egypt, and called _A. fasciata_. This gives the honey-bee a very wide distribution, extending possibly over the whole of the palaearctic region: besides this, the species has been introduced into various other parts of the world. According to Karsch the honey-bee shows in Germany several varieties, all of which belong to the northern form, which may be spoken of as the _A. domestica_ of Ray; the _A. ligustica_ and _A. fasciata_ form as we have said distinct races, and it is a remarkable fact that these races remain distinct even when imported into other climates; though for how long a period of time this remains true there is very little evidence to show. The northern form, _A. domestica_, is now found in very widely separated parts of the world, in some of which it is wild; Smith mentions it as occurring in the West India islands, throughout the North American continent as far south as Mexico, even in Central and Southern Africa, and in Australia and New Zealand. The var. _ligustica_ has been found also at the Cape of Good Hope. The other species known of the genus _Apis_ all belong to the Old World, so that there is very little doubt that _A. mellifica_ is also {69}a true native of the eastern hemisphere, and its original home may possibly have been not far from the shores of the eastern portion of the Mediterranean sea. Seven or eight other species of _Apis_ are known, all but one of which occur in Asia, extending as far as Timor and Celebes. The exceptional one, _A. adansonii_, occurs in tropical Africa and in Madagascar. Gerstaecker thought these species might be reduced to four, but Smith's statement that the males and even the workers show good distinctive characters seems to be correct. Very little is known as to the honey-bees of China and Japan.